social media usage has decreased the fertility rate.
Once again a pretty misleading headline/story. I doubt that peoples ability to have children has decreased, Fertility rate would indicate that people are unable to have children due to a physiological reason, Something is wrong with the reproductive organs. What has decreased is like you point out, people not spending time to get to know each other and plan on having a family.
I read for entertainment, most of my reading 90% of it is for strictly entertainment purposes. Fantasy and sci-fi. I do learn things through the stories I read, I knew about post humanism a lot sooner than many, because of sci-fi stories. I see trends in politics because of sci-fi.
Not all books are pure entertainment, they do have/show trends that are beginning or ending. I enjoy stories of the changes in culture due to technological improvement, government crack downs, or simply people having finally had enough and revolt.
While none of the stories are true, and most stories are based on and spun from ancient stories, there is a kernel of now in most stories.
Yeah, you are right, but I think that is the standard they use for birthrate these days - though will have to check in with it.
This is one aim of art I think - give a glimpse of a possible future and think about whether we want to develop it or not. Life imitates art, because action follows thought.
And, a fiction book can be full of truths - Shakespeare is a prime example of insight into human behavior and it still holds up 400 years later.
That kernel of truth is what is so attractive - I don't want reality, I want possibility of future realities, based on what we know today.