Which of the following best describes your opinion about America’s falling fertility rate?

It’s a major problem (25%) – "There are numerous high costs associated with having children today. First, do employers cover the cost of parental leave? The cost of quality childcare is then astronomical. After-school programs, especially those of high quality, are difficult to find and often expensive. Middle school kids are out of luck unless one parent can get them to activities. Sports and other school activities are costly and add a time commitment to already stressed-out parents. Many employers are still not supportive of work-life balance, and everyone suffers."

• "I think, in part, it's reflective of how expensive it is to get started right now in America. Housing, rent, food, it's all off the charts expensive. It makes sense that families would be afraid to bring children into the marriage if they aren't financially stable. The second part, in my opinion, is the cultural shift that's happening, primarily on the left. There is an anti-male revolution going on, if social media is to be believed. This trend is sure to lead to fewer relationships, and thus fewer children."

"The fertility issue is indicative of overall issues of the economic system. Once the working class is truly bolstered again, fertility rates will rise."

It’s a minor problem (27%) – "I think low fertility rates can be an important indicator of a lot of other things going on (economic, social, cultural, etc.). Overall I have heard that societies tend to naturally course correct fertility rates over time, so at this point I'm not really that worried. But I also live in a part of the US with a subset culture that encourages and supports families a lot more than the average US experience. I know a lot of young people starting families and raising families, and family values are very important and foundational to me and a lot of people I know. So it's possible my view on it is a bit skewed."

• "It is definitely an issue, but these things are cyclical. 2007 was enormous - those babies are just now turning 18. Let's look at what the fertility rate is from 2031-2041, when those people are in their prime child bearing years."

"I understand why it can be an issue for the future, but ultimately our country is not set up in ANY way to support parents having children. It would just drive more poverty. homelessness, etc"

It’s not a problem at all (38%) – "The drastic fall in teen pregnancies should be celebrated, as should the fact that more women as focusing on fulfilling lives and careers based on things other than motherhood. Also, with the increasing costs of life in general, never mind the skyrocketing costs of having and supporting children, there should be more of a focus on improving the quality of life for people in general rather than just trying to get people to have kids without there being safety nets in place to support them."

• "It is only a problem if you are someone maintaining a death grip on the top-down, capitalist society that is currently dominant. Unless you're advocating for Handmaiden's Tale-themed patriarchal, totalitarian leadership, women are not going to give up their agency just to create workers for the future. Low birth rate isn't the problem; lack of vision for a better future is the problem."

"I happen to side with the younger generation that is being more responsible about bringing children into the world. It shows maturity and accountability. I believe it is more selfish to bring children into the world that are considered "accidents" or counting on someone else to raise them or depend on a broken adoption/foster system that oftentimes leads to neglect and even abuse. Children deserve better than all of that: they deserve to be loved and cared for, to be safe and nurtured so that they can grown to be healthy individuals, in a physical, mental and spiritual sense."

• "There is absolutely nothing surprising about dropping fertility, this has been projected by demographers for some time. We need population levels to begin plateauing, and eventually declining, for earth to sustain life into the future. Rather than relying on population growth to drive GDP and international dominance, governments around the world need to look beyond sheer numbers for “real” growth drivers. It is the way."

Unsure/other (10%) – "It's not a problem RIGHT NOW. It will be a problem if the trend continues; countries are built on future generations. More specifically, economies require young people to replenish and grow, at least right now; maybe AI will change that. As it stands, if the trend doesn't reverse over the next twenty years back to at least repopulation levels, we'll face some economic and social trouble."