Kids? In This Vibe Economy?

While Twitter pundits feud over the source of economic pessimism, a much-discussed Vox essay asks why millennials are so down about motherhood.

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For weeks, in a corner of Twitter/X of which I am peripherally aware, liberal and leftist economy-watchers have feuded over the source of the country’s current economic pessimism.

The economy is good, argue the more-centrist pundits; the economy is good, but a combination of social media doomerism and negative polarization has led to a widespread perception that the economy is bad. Their opponents on the left take a more materialist view: yes, unemployment and inflation are easing, they argue, but high consumer prices, middling wages, and the disappearance of Covid-19 subsidies have genuinely worsened Americans’ financial wellbeing. 

The Twitter economists are still hashing that out and I wish them well. But I was reminded of the debate this week when Vox journalist Rachel Cohen published a much-discussed feature on millennial pessimism toward motherhood. After decades of rose-tinted portrayals of parenting, Cohen writes, a new push for “unflinching,” “honest” depictions has led to an overcorrection in which child-rearing is viewed (perhaps unfairly) as an unworthy slog. This is tantamount to a public relations crisis for parenting, with many women coming to “dread motherhood.”

I found the essay thoughtful and I share Cohen’s ultimate conclusion: that much of the discussion around motherhood can make it sound daunting, but that we can embrace what challenges us while simultaneously advocating for better. 

Still, the grubby materialist in me can’t help but hunger for more details on what is presented as a predominantly vibes-based phenomenon. Are the bad motherhood vibes being handed down from on high by some misguided cultural movement? Or are they grounded in more tangible troubles?