Our national reckoning with population is here

According to the 2020 Census Report released yesterday, the United State increased population by only 7 percent, among the lowest amounts in the nation's history.

Of course, the increase was not evenly distributed, so some states will gain a House seat (Texas gains two) and some will lose one. This result has the pundits all atwitter, per usual, speculating on how this will change American politics and (gulp) LIFE AS WE KNOW IT.

The problem is that cause and effect are not clear at this point. A clear trend is that warmer weather and more diverse job opportunities are driving a steady migration from the Northeast and Midwest to the South and West. That migration may or may not result in more progressive or less progressive voting patterns. No one really knows, but everyone loves to guess and yak about it endlessly.

I was struck by the fact that there are now more Americans over 80 years of age than under 2 years of age. THAT result means that our population growth is likely to remain low for some time to come since most growth comes from birthrates (not immigration). 

You don't need to be an expert in cause and effect to understand that the oldest of us will relatively soon be dying. This likely means that a giant transfer of wealth is going to occur quite soon, as the Silent Generation and the Boomers pass away, with their estates going to Gen X and Millennials. 

As a Boomer who likely is only staying "on planet" for another decade or two, this all sounds kind of exciting. I have no idea what effects will occur due to populations changes, but I will guess that some things will change dramatically. 

In a writing class, we often end up discussing cause and effect. After all, many arguments are based on "if we do this now, the following will occur." The challenge is finding the key causes and then making better guesses as to the eventual effects. 

For example, social media has exploded over the past 10-15 years, but who among us prophesied back in 2006 the international effects of social media, for good and definitely for ill?