Singaporean says having no dependents these days is a superpower because it helps preserve your wellbeing

SINGAPORE: While many in Singapore have expressed concerns that the city-state’s birth rate has fallen to a historic low of .87, a local Reddit user had somewhat of a hot take, saying that, on an individual level at least, there are advantages to staying child-free.

In a post on r/asksg on Thursday (Aug 20), u/FitPassenger592 wrote that “having no dependents is a superpower in this day and age.”

They explained it this way: “Instead of having to shoulder the stress and soldier on in trying times, having no dependents gives you the option to throw in the towel to preserve your wellbeing.”

The post author added that being able to have such a choice may actually lower a person’s stress levels, and cited a stress-coping study from decades ago conducted with rodents, where the group that had control over an electric shock switch had less damage to gut health than the one that had no control.

This is why they believe that giving up on commitments such as getting married, having children, or even having a better life for one’s family for the sake of prioritising your wellbeing is “perfectly fine”.

“There’s nothing wrong with ‘lying flat/tang ping’ if it benefits your wellbeing. You’re not a failure for being your own champion,” they added.

In Singapore, “lying flat” or tang ping (躺平) means a rejection of the often intense social pressure to work as hard as you can, climb up the corporate ladder, and go after traditional milestones such as a high-paying career, expensive housing, and marriage, in favour of a bare-minimum, low-stakes lifestyle.

As counter-cultural as u/FitPassenger592’s point of view may be, none of the commenters on their post said they disagreed with them.

As one mother wrote, “I told my kids, mummy’s wish for them is when they grow up, they are healthy and earn enough to take care of themselves. Don’t want to get married, don’t want to give birth, all never mind. Just be happy!”

“That’s what my mum often tells me!” a Reddit user replied, adding, “Many of her childhood friends’ kids, who are in the same age group as me (mid 30’s), are single too.”

The post author responded to this as well, writing, “You’re a good parent. Thank you for not perpetuating the suffering that our generation has gone through, and breaking the generational trauma.”

Another added, “That’s why childless couples and single-hood are on the rise. Why be part of the sandwich generation when you have the option not to be?”

“Only the young and wise realise the tri factor: the realities of being in your 40s (ageism) sandwiched btw kids and caregiving with your lunch constantly being challenged. Remove the kids to reduce the load while diverting the cash to build an investment portfolio,” a Reddit user wrote. /TISG

Read also: Men in Singapore share why they’re opting to be childfree: ‘I get to save so much money’