Demographic Doom Podcast

64. Personality and the Post-Nuclear Family (40 min)

In this unscripted episode, Glenn Campbell discusses the role of personality in the formation and maintenance of his hypothetical post-nuclear family system. Discussion includes MBTI, the Five Factor Model, the Dark Triade traits and other recognized personality disorders.

63. Post-Nuclear Family: Insulating Children from Parental Disputes (8 min)

As an addendum to the previous episode, Glenn Campbell provides a 6th reason that parents should not live with their children in the post-nuclear family: It insulates the children from the parents' disputes. The children's household is governed by rules established and enforced by the adults. With multiple parents, there are bound to be disputes on matters of policy and on specific conflicts. These should be debated and resolved outside the hearing of the children, which is less likely if multiple parents are living in the house. Children should also be insulated from the ups and downs of their parents' personal relationships. Under the traditional nuclear family, divorce or open conflict between the parents can be devastating to the children. In the post-nuclear family, a divorce among the parents would have little impact on the kids. They'll still see both parents, but maybe not on at the same time. — Twitter: @DemographicDoom — See the YouTube version of this episode for notes, comments, corrections & links to resources: j.mp/dd_disputes [ep 63, 16 July 2021]

62. Post-Nuclear Family: Why Parents Should Not Live With Their Children (18 min)

In an unscripted episode, Glenn Campbell answers a question about his theoretical post-nuclear family system: Why he believes the parents should not live in the same household as the children. He cites 5 reasons: ① to preserve the child-friendly culture and physical features of the main household, ② to encourage division of labor among the adults, ③ to insulate the children from the parents' wealth, ④ to encourage the independence of the children's household, ⑤ to facilitate a work-self-family balance among the adults. Although adults would not normally occupy the same dwelling as the kids, Glenn cites two exceptions: the elderly or sick who require care, and where necessary for physical protection. If the elderly and sick live in adjacent quarters, the children can assist in their care. There might be more physical distance between parents and children in safe societies, and less in unsafe ones. Finally, Glenn returns to ①, discussing the intentional isolation of the children's household. — Twitter: @DemographicDoom — See the YouTube version of this episode for notes, comments, corrections & links to resources: j.mp/dd_noadults [ep 62, 15 July 2021]

61. Babies in the Post-Nuclear Family (42 min)

In this unscripted episode, Glenn Campbell discusses various topics relating to babies in his hypothetical Post-Nuclear Family. Inspired by a screaming baby on a red-eye flight. First, he says a baby would rarely fly in a plane under his system, because babies and young children are firmly attached to house in which they are raised. Only older children are likely to travel. Another issue he raises is why one baby on a plane is crying while others seem to sleep. It may be an issue of personality, which every family has to accommodate. Glenn talks about birth spacing and why two years between children is optimal. Finally, he touches on the topic of where the babies come from. Initially, they come from the founding mothers, coordinating their births. When their fertility expires, that when the real challenges begin. — This episode is accompanied by in-person video on the YouTube version. — Twitter: @DemographicDoom — See the YouTube version of this episode for notes, comments, corrections & links to other resources: j.mp/dd_baby [ep 61, 9 July 2021]

60. Things I Can't Predict — What Demographics and Macroeconomics Can't Tell Us (15 min)

Glenn Campbell on what is predictable and what isn't, based on demographics and macroeconomics. They place a hard ceiling on future economic, but they don't tell us what will happen below that ceiling. The wildcards are human politics and human behavior, which escape easy predictions. Glenn illustrates these limitations with three results of the pandemic that he never would have predicted: (1) a rise in stocks and asset markets despite a failing economy. (2) Race riots in the midst of a pandemic. (3) The current labor shortage despite high unemployment. — Twitter: @DemographicDoom — See the YouTube version of this episode for notes, comments, corrections & links to other resources: j.mp/dd_dontknow [ep 60, 15 June 2021]