Old S’pore PSA Against Having Kids Goes Viral Again Amid Falling Birth Rates, Internet Says It Worked Too Well

These days, Singaporeans are constantly hearing how they should consider marriage and have kids to boost our Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

Which honestly makes sense, considering Singapore’s TFR has now fallen to a historic low of 0.87.

But long before Baby Bonuses, paternity leave, and government grants entered the picture, Singapore’s national message was very different.

Back in the ’70s and early ’80s, Singaporeans were essentially being told to calm down and stop having children.

And thanks to a resurfaced government PSA currently going viral online, younger Singaporeans are now discovering just how aggressively Singapore once campaigned against early marriage and large families.

The resurfaced video was originally produced by the former Singapore Family Planning and Population Board (SFPPB) during Singapore’s “Stop at Two” era.

“Been a teenager is the time for learning and growing. You are young only once,” declared the narrator, while opening with cheerful scenes of adults enjoying life.

The mood shifts dramatically as viewers are shown a couple walking down the aisle before cutting to scenes of crying toddlers.

“Rushing into marriage, into having your first child, and your second, means rushing into problems,” ominously warned the narrator.

Immediately after the crying children sequence, the ad cuts back to attractive, carefree young couples relaxing poolside and chatting peacefully.

The music softens with the final line, “So, take your time to say ‘yes’. A happy family is worth waiting for.”

Did Singapore accidentally create an entire generation of people who now panic when they hear the words, “When are you settling down?”

Unsurprisingly, netizens were fascinated by how direct the PSA felt.

 “This aged well and did not age well in equal measure,” read a comment.

Another joked, writing, “Other than the “Stop at two”, this must have been another successful campaign in our country.”

Today, the Singapore government is spearheading a "Marriage and Parenthood Reset", actively trying to make marriage and parenthood feel less financially terrifying.

Current initiatives include the Baby Bonus, providing parents with up to S$38K in cash gifts, and Child Development Account (CDA) grants to help defray child-raising costs.

The Large Families Scheme sees parents get up to S$54K for a 5th child (or beyond) when combined with the Baby Bonus.

Parents also have up to 30 weeks of paid parental leave in a child’s first year, and four weeks of government-paid paternity leave.

Naturally, many Singaporeans online are now joking that the old campaigns may have permanently altered the national psyche.

“Now we need to do reverse social engineering. Few want kids anymore,” read a comment.

Photos: hazard.one.actual/IG, nftskeptics/Reddit Singapore