DINK lifestyle: Catching the imagination of young couples
At a speed at which DINK lifestyle is gaining popularity around the world including India, it has potential danger of upsetting the social fabric of the societies in the near future
There is a new buzz word in social arena gaining popularity among young married couples around the world, which is a new life style, enjoying “double income no kids”, popularly known as DINK.
DINK lifestyle is gaining popularity mostly through social media platforms, wherein such life is glorified by uploading videos on TikTok, Facebook and other related social media sites, having millions of views, displaying the lifestyle of kid-free married couples. There are many popular faces of young couples on such platforms, who have gained huge following from posting “DINK vlogs”- videos that show them and their partner’s day-to-day life, showcasing their lavish and burden-free lifestyles. Glorification of such lifestyles, knowingly or unknowingly, inspires and attract the couples towards the ideas of DINK.
At a speed at which DINK lifestyle is gaining popularity around the world including India, it has potential danger of upsetting the social fabric of the societies in the near future.
In India we recognised the importance of closely knitted joint family system since ancient times and adhered to it till the last four/five decades. But this traditional joint family system in India suffered a blow in the last few decades, as most of our educated young couples, moved away from joint family to join nuclear family system in search of new jobs, to earn more incomes and to improve their quality of life and means of livelihood. In the process, not only the nuclear families of these migrant young couples, but the old parents sitting back in their homes also suffered emotional and social setbacks.
At present, this nuclear family system is once again on the verge of further risk of another break. DINK lifestyle is catching on the imagination of the young couples very fast not only in the western countries, but is also gaining popularity in developing economies like India. More and more married young couples are opting to remain childless as they are fascinated by burden-free double income, no kids lifestyle.
There are many arguments put forward by these couples in support of opting for this lifestyle, citing economic as well as social reasons. The economic reason mainly is to pursue their careers to earn double income so that can enjoy life of their choice, devoid of any financial constraints. According to the propagators of the lifestyle, they have much more disposable income than the couples with children and this give extra financial leverage to buy luxury items of their choice and live a lavish lifestyle with freedom.
In the social arena, according to DINK couples, they have no burden of raising and rearing children and therefore, have the freedom to move from one place to another to pursue their jobs, hobbies and travelling interests without having any burden of children care and responsibilities, making them feel free from stress and responsibility of parenthood. Without kids, these couples feel, that they have more time and energy to invest in their own personal relationship.
Such arguments of these couples are of not much relevance to the Indian society or for that matter to any other society. Procreation is law of nature and applicable universally both to human beings as well as to other living beings on the earth. Without procreation, no society can survive in the long run be it human beings or others and are bound to face extinction, now evident in the western societies. Many countries in the western world are facing ever increasing older population and declining young population. This is a cause of major concern for them and they are feeling to address this problem with utmost seriousness but perhaps without much success.
In Indian social system, DINK life style has not much relevance. Children are essential part and parcel of our family system and mere presence of children brings happiness, not only to the parents, but to the grand parents and relatives as well.
Biju Dominic, a behavioural science expert and chief executive officer, FinalMile Consulting, says “People in general don’t have the ability to think too much into the future. But I find children to be the driving force that gets people to think and plan for the future.” There is truth in this statement, as children in the family makes one to look and work hard for future, as in Indian social system, every family has very strong desire for continuation of family tree.
Not denying the fact that we, in India, need to control population growth but it cannot be by way of adopting DINK lifestyle. DINK as a way of living can be pursued by young couples at the initial stages of their married life but they have to set a limit of years for such lifestyles and once settled, must resort to the social responsibility of procreation. Without children Life becomes painful in older age, its not with respect to India only but in any society, leading to mental and physical disorders. Social and economic development will stop in the absence of youthful population.
So let us stop to encourage and spread of DINK ideas among the young married couples. It may be little difficult by the parents of married couples to convince them forcefully to shun the idea of DINK. Responsibility lies more on young married couples to realize themselves the importance of children in the family for their own emotional well- being and satisfaction. Children spread happiness and are stress busters. Well educated and economically well off couples, have more responsibility to raise good human beings. Without children, couples feel lonely and regretful in the later stages of life. DINK lifestyle may be more relevant to the western societies, as their finances and healthcare are well taken care of after the age of 60’s, but in India children contribute towards psychological and physical well-being of the parents and grand-parents by mere their presence around them. Children are Blessing in the family and rearing them is a social responsibility.
The couples, though have the right to choose their own lifestyles, yet they must give a serious re-thinking to the idea of pursuing DINK lifestyle, if the they are attracted by the DINK couple on the TikTok videos on the social media platforms.
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