[mamelukesabre]

The second generation is even worse: they do not have cousins, uncles or aunts either
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HOLY CRAP!

This never even occurred to me. I have never even thought about what it would be like to be the only child of an only child of an only child. You literally have ZERO living relatives other than your parents...and if your spouse is also the only child of an only child of an only child...MIND BOGGLING!

Imagine a whole nation...billions of people...all are in this same boat. FREAKY!

[null and void]

No blood ties to the community. (Note: I didn't say no blood ties to your community)

[Hoosier-Daddy]

All alone, totally dependent on the government.

[hinckley buzzard]

This is why socialism runs counter to human nature. Relationships make life meaningful, and the totalitarians always seek to dissolve relationships other than with the state. The one child policy has served this end.

This devolution of Chinese society will not end well unlesss they make radical changes. They will achieve the socialist ideal of the anthill, but their worker ants won't be working. What then?

[mvpel]

Imagine a whole nation...billions of people...all are in this same boat. FREAKY!

Italy, of all places, is going to be like that in not too many decades - for the Italians, at least.

[afraidfortherepublic]

This never even occurred to me. I have never even thought about what it would be like to be the only child of an only child of an only child. You literally have ZERO living relatives other than your parents...and if your spouse is also the only child of an only child of an only child...MIND BOGGLING!

I have friends like that. Actually, I haven't heard from them in a couple of years, so I don't know if they are still alive. Not only are they both "only" children, they elected to have no children of their own. He was a highly successful attorney and they both inherited a good bit of wealth from their parents,so they are "set" financially. All they did was fight over it.

Now, they spend all their time with the Sierra Club, climbing mountains, travel, skiing, worrying about their genealogy (strange for people with no heirs), and (him) playing with model trains with the local train society. I would not consider it a happy union (alcohol for him; nit picking for her).

[Aevery_Freeman]

As a baby-boomer, I had a revelation when one of my students told me "You don't get it. Children today have more parents than parents have children."

I realized that he was correct. In my circle of friends there are more adults than children and the kids have the two biological parents plus step-parents, half-step-parents not to mention God-parents and assorted childless adult relatives.

[CrazyIvan]

“The second generation is even worse: they do not have cousins, uncles or aunts either”

My mother is an only child and my uncle on the other side died when I was very young. I have two sisters and no brothers. I had trouble socializing in school and I think this may have had something to do with it. When other kids would talk about having a full house at Christmas I had no reference. I can see how a whole country like this could have some serious social problems.

[6SJ7]

This never even occurred to me. I have never even thought about what it would be like to be the only child of an only child of an only child. You literally have ZERO living relatives other than your parents.

You're right. That is weird to contemplate. No uncles, aunts, cousins, brothers, sisters. I guess one would have or might have grandparents, but that's it.

[MinorityRepublican]

Imagine a whole nation...billions of people...all are in this same boat. FREAKY!

It's not like that in rural areas.

[kearnyirish2]

I read this years ago, in an article describing an only child marrying an only child, and having one child - that child has no siblings, cousins, aunts/uncles...