For the first part of this episode we return to a subject we discussed last year, after new data from India showed its fertility rate had continued to plummet and was now below replacement rate. Just a few decades ago, many feared India would be among those countries whose populations would uncontrollably explode, plunging tens of millions into famine and disaster. But in fact, even developing nations with wildly different cultures around marriage and family are emulating the developed West’s steep decline in birth rates. Does any of this matter though, and should it concern Christians beyond blood-and-soil nationalists worried about ethnic vigour?
Then we move on to consider the wave of bans on social for under-16s, as countries like the UK and Canada begin to follow Australia’s lead in restricting access to apps like TikTok and Instagram for teens. Is it credible to actually prevent determined teenagers and greedy tech firms from colluding to sidestep these laws? And what responsibility should Christian parents take on themselves, rather than wait for governments or Silicon Valley to protect their children?

The Economist article on India’s birth rates https://www.economist.com/briefing/2026/06/04/indias-population-will-soon-be-falling-probably-quite-fast

• You can send in your questions for us to discuss on the podcast, or ideas for future episodes, to [email protected]
• Subscribe to the Matters of Life and Death podcast: https://pod.link/1509923173
• If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, visit John's website: http://www.johnwyatt.com
• Find some of Tim's journalism and sign up for free to his weekly church news newsletter The Critical Friend: https://tswyatt.com
• For more resources to help you explore faith and the big questions, visit: http://www.premierunbelievable.com

Released on 17 Jun 2026