What Is A DINK Couple And Why Are They Disliked?

This week, many people learned what the acronym "DINK" stood for: double income, no kids.

Most DINK couples have more time to spend with each other, and the money to live a comfortable lifestyle, and a lot of the self-described DINKs have consciously decided not to have children. The topic has become a media frenzy after a video of a couple went viral on X (formerly Twitter), even garnering the attention of Elon Musk himself.

@WallStreetSilv on the platform uploaded a video of a couple explaining their child-free lifestyle. He captioned it, "There are going to be a lot of 'DINKs' in the future in their 50s to 80s that are going to be regretting this strategy." The original upload is by John Eringman (@johnefinance) on TikTok.

The duo in the viral video had quips like, "We're DINKs, we go to Trader Joe's and workout classes on the weekends," and "We're DINKs, we get into snobby hobbies like skiing and golfing."

A lot of people are not impressed. "There is an awful morality to those who deliberately have no kids: they are effectively demanding that other people’s kids take care of them in their old age. That’s messed up," wrote the Tesla founder.

Many DINKs have begun sharing their lifestyle choices on social media. "We're DINKS! We have disposable income to spend on whatever we would like and don't have to spend on a kid," another couple shared.

I do think these DINK trends are a little obnoxious and silly. At its core, it's praising a consumerist lifestyle where they get to spend money on useless items and waste time just because they can afford it. Based on those who have jumped on the trend, DINK couples highly value quality time and saving money (or rather, spending it on themselves).

Why the Internet Is Mad at DINKs

Having a beautiful family is a natural part of life, and it gives people purpose and meaning, as well as the opportunity to grow in maturity and generosity. The reason why people dislike DINKs is because they're perceived as lacking these qualities. For many, they seem lazy, and people who are child-free by choice seem to mirror the effects of the dystopian society we're living in. It's hyper-individualism coupled with decadence. A lot of child-free people have a "holier than thou" attitude as well, as exemplified by this post on the child-free subreddit:

Of course, it isn't fair to describe all DINKs this way. In fact, I think a lot of them are kind and don't deserve the hate that they get. Some simply want to save money and wait a little longer. Other couples may be struggling with infertility and aren't DINKs by choice. Then there are those who really don't want to have kids because they see them as a nuisance or they hold the belief that this world is too cruel to bring a soul into it. This pessimistic point of view is evident in Reddit forums, as I've shown.

I don't think every couple is meant to have children. However, I do have concerns about this ideology, especially when it may influence people to wait longer or demonize kids. This year, we wrote an article on older men regretting their lifestyle choices that led them to be childless. Most of them feel depressed and angry because they're alone.

Research by Dr. Robin Hadley found that 25% of men past 42 are childless, 5% more than women around the same age. There are plenty of childless individuals out there; they're just not as vocal as the DINK and child-free community. "I was mute too until recently, because as I aged, I found the regret grew into a great pain,” Robert Nurden, author of I Always Wanted To Be A Dad: Men Without Children, said. “Unlike many other forms of grief, this compounds itself as it gets older: I wasn’t a father, but now I’m not a grandfather. When I’m even older, I might find myself entirely alone."

I don't dislike the DINKs on TikTok who show off their vacations and latest buys – in fact, I like seeing happy couples. I just wish that they didn't glorify consumerism and selfishness, and I truly hope they don't regret their choices later on.

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