Popular TikToker Shirin has defended her controversial comments about having children while experiencing severe financial hardship, insisting that her remarks were misunderstood by some social media users.
Shirin had previously sparked backlash after suggesting that people who are unable to financially provide for a child should not be legally permitted to have children.
In a follow-up video, she clarified that her comments were specifically directed at people living in extreme poverty who already struggle to afford basic necessities but continue to have children.
According to her, children should not be brought into the world with the expectation that they will eventually become financially responsible for their parents or rescue their families from poverty.
Shirin acknowledged that some people who grew up in poor households have gone on to become successful, but argued that such cases should not be used to overlook the challenges faced by many children raised in severe poverty.
She cited children who end up begging on the streets or struggling with hunger, addiction and crime as examples of outcomes she believes should receive more attention.
The TikToker also criticised the pressure placed on some young people to start providing financially for their parents and extended families from an early age.
“A child should never have the responsibility to take care of their parents and the family,” she said, while noting that voluntarily supporting parents later in life is a different matter.
Shirin further called for more open conversations about contraception and family planning, arguing that people who are not financially or otherwise prepared to raise children should consider ways of preventing unintended pregnancies.
Her comments have continued to generate debate online, with social media users expressing differing views on poverty, reproductive choices, parental responsibility and the expectations placed on children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
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