Could Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce Influence A New "Baby Boom" In America?

Taylor Swift is one of the most influential pop stars in the world. Everyone went crazy for instant cameras after T-Swift released her Polaroid-fueled 2014 album 1989. Teens were running to the nearest mall to buy red lipstick and two-piece bikinis. A couple of years later, Instagram added a feature to filter negative comments after the singer faced backlash on the platform. In the past two decades, the singer has built a cult following that watches and mirrors her every move as if they live by the doctrine “What Would Taylor Swift Do”? Which begs the question: What will Taylor’s next move be? And will women follow suit?

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Marriage Rumors

We’ve been bombarded with news about Taylor, Travis Kelce, and the NFL for weeks, and frankly, a lot of people are tired of it. Some sports fans have even begun to wonder if her relationship with the Kansas City Chiefs player is all PR. Yet, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Taylor this happy with a man before. Even millions of fans this week witnessed the pop star change her lyrics live to reference her new romance and walk off the stage to kiss Travis.

Naturally, crazed fans speculate that Taylor and Travis will get married. Let’s calm down – they just started dating. However, if they did, it would be America’s royal wedding (though it likely won’t be televised). So if Travis and Taylor get hitched…will more women get married? If they have kids, then will women want to have babies as well? @uncledoomer on X (formerly Twitter) shared his hilarious economic analysis. “if taylor swift and travis kelce have a baby, it will usher in a new american baby boom as millions of 25-35yo women follow suit,” he wrote. “not far behind will be manufacturing, a housing boom, a tremendous lifestyle shift for millions of newly minted families. a new golden era for america.”

Just how accurate is his conjecture, though?

Could Travis and Taylor Influence a "Baby Boom"?

First, let me introduce you to a book called The Fourth Turning: What the Cycles of History Tell Us About America's Next Rendezvous with Destiny. According to historians Willaim Strauss and Neil Howe, society operates in cycles. They believe that lifetimes – a period of roughly 80 years – can be divided into four phases called "Turnings." Each turning is 20 years, so you can also think of them as a generation.

The first turning is a "high" – everything is dandy, and there's a strengthening of institutions and a weakening of individualism. The second is an "awakening," "a passionate era of spiritual upheaval." The third is the "unraveling," "a downcast era of strengthening individualism and weakening institutions." The last is a "crisis," which is the turning we are currently in. Their theory coincides with everything that's happened so far. Nearly 80 years ago, we had the baby boom during the first turning. Howe and Strauss hypothesized that 2005 was when the fourth turning began (give or take), and 2008 was when the Great Recession occurred. You can read more about the Fourth Turning here.

So, where am I going with this? Well, we’re finally making our way out of the fourth turning and going into the first turning of the “high.” That means that by 2026, we will see a shift in our society. It may mirror the Baby Boom, or it may not; if it does, the economy will improve, and people will likely start building families again as optimism prevails. Obviously, if Travis and Taylor do get hitched, it won’t be anytime soon. They need a couple of years to get to know each other. I would find it hilarious if they did get married during the fourth turning and influenced many women and men to build families again. It would coincide with the “high” phase we all badly desire.

Then again, not every cycle is a copy of each other. Think of it this way: Twenty years ago, Y2K fashion was marked by low-waisted jeans, cargo pants, tank tops, belts, and simple makeup. In the 2020s, younger generations are currently mimicking the Y2K fashion by bringing back the same concept, although it’s not exactly how it was two decades ago. So, while the first turning we’re entering sounds exciting, and I'm sure it will be, it may not be as grand or exactly like the baby boom.

Regardless, it will take a while for men and women to build wealth, especially after the state of our current market and inflation. A lot of women are deciding not to have babies because it’s too expensive, and they have to worry about making ends meet. Until these issues get situated, the baby boom won’t happen anytime soon – it will take years after 2026, at least. But that's not to say Taylor and Travis will have zero influence. I actually think that their hypothetical marriage could lead to an increase in men and women seeking healthy partnerships rather than quick flings.

Should Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce spark a baby boom, we might as well dub the resulting generation "Generation T."

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