For people who are selfish and immature (as I was throughout my 20s), one of the best things about having children, provided you’re not insane or suffering from a personality disorder, is that it forces you to extend your world beyond your own boundaries. Suddenly, these tiny lives have needs much greater than yours, and making the world a better place extends beyond your lifespan and into your descendants’ futures.
A recent NBC poll of Gen Z shows that conservative men understand this, while leftist women are focused solely on themselves and their needs, with no room in their world for children. Sadly, 74% of the women polled are leftists, while “only” 53% of the men are leftists. (The teachers’ unions have done their work well.) This does not bode well for America’s future.
Image created using AI.
As a general matter, the poll showed that men, on average, approve of Trump more than women do, especially his economic and immigration policies. The saddest part of the poll, revealing we’ve all known already (again, thank you teachers’ unions), is that young women have been reduced to a neurotic mess (emphasis mine):
Members of Gen Z are more anxious overall than members of other generations, with about a quarter responding that they “feel anxious or worried about the future” almost all of the time.
This high level of anxiety about the future is largely driven by young women. One-third of young women said they feel anxious “almost all of the time,” and an additional third reported being anxious “most of the time.” In contrast, just under 2 in 10 Gen Z men reported feeling anxious all of the time.
The most striking thing about the poll, though, and what’s caught the attention of social media users, is that the young people who most want to invest in the future are Trump-supporting men, for it is they who want children and marriage. Even women who voted for Trump are less enthusiastic about marriage and children. Meanwhile, women who voted for Harris have completely turned their back on the whole idea of family:
A new NBC News poll gave Gen Z a list of choices of how to define personal success:
— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 8, 2025
Men who backed Donald Trump in 2024 rated having children at the top.
Women who backed Kamala Harris rated it second to last. https://t.co/BDv7SdkKUA pic.twitter.com/0LVMFIVSIn
This is insane…
— Geiger Capital (@Geiger_Capital) September 8, 2025
NBC polled Gen Z (18-29) on what they consider important to have a successful life.
Having Children:
???? Men who voted Trump - #1
???? Women who voted Harris - #12 (last) pic.twitter.com/CzOxYhwSCH
I understand that marriage and family aren’t for everyone. You may not meet the person you can imagine spending your life with, you may not be able to have children, or you may recognize in yourself the fact that you and children would be a bad combination. However, when an entire cohort of young people resolutely rejects the continuation of society and, indeed, the human race, we are in deep trouble.
Also, speaking personally, despite my struggles as a mother (both personal and physical), I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. It’s not just that my grown children are the pride and joy of my life.
It’s also that having them enabled me to become a better person. Without them, I would have become ever more rigid, condescending, and unkind. Ensuring that they did not become that kind of person also kept me from continuing down that path.
Looking at those poor neurotic young women, it seems many could benefit from the reality check of young children who, in exchange for conscientious care, reward you with love and the intense pleasure of cultivating a new human being.