Where are the articles asking why men don't want to have children?
As a 24 year old male, I’m surprised (and disappointed, internally) by how many of my female friends in college are outspoken about never wanting or having kids. They see little in it other than work, stress, loss of freedom, and money. I understand it’s all those things but there’s good aspects, perhaps meaning itself in raising kids as well. I think it’s related to a collapse in the belief in death-do-us-part marriage in America’s secular middle class. At the same time, those that are outspoken about these matters also always seem to lack meaning or direction in their life.<p>It’s seems a weird inverse to me, but I guess it makes some sense too: weak sense of purpose —&gt; low expectations for the future —&gt; disbelief in traditional customs, like monogamy and marriage, gender roles —&gt; “I know I don’t want kids.” [*then proceed to some casual, horrible, judgy take about kids and people who choose to have kids]. —&gt; The belief that everyone shares or ought to share this cynicism.<p>A lot of it has to do with my surprise that other 23-25 year olds don’t really see themselves as adults. Regardless of financial (in)dependence, no college graduate should see themselves as anything short of a fully capable adult. I wish I could snap my fingers and make everyone see this as a cause instead of a symptom of various flavors of mild- and medium-severity mental illness. Something that addresses a lack of a sense of adulthood as a root cause.<p>I feel like I may as well be described as a natalist for my beliefs, but it honestly seems like I have an “average” perspective on this until like ten minutes ago. I know things will change for myself and my friends as we get older. I don’t want kids right this moment, but will one day - and that day is not incomprehensibly far away. 
 This is incredibly rambly, and these are seriously my friends, their positive qualities innumerable outweigh their antinatalist takes, especially considering I’m going to be dating any of them for other reasons. Just wanted to throw this perspective out there, especially about the growing sense of common despair for the future and how that interacts with a growing sense of meaninglessness in a secular world.
Just sharing my experience here. These anecdotes come from other young college grads in my cohort (not-IT though).