ABSTRACT
The decision to become childfree is increasingly visible in contemporary society, challenging traditional norms of reproduction and parenthood. In pronatalist contexts, where parenthood is regarded as normative and desirable, childfree individuals often encounter stigma and marginalisation. This study examines how the childfree position is discursively constructed on TikTok. The dataset comprised 88 TikTok videos and 440 associated comments posted under the hashtags #childfree and #childfreebychoice. The videos were transcribed, and the resulting textual data, together with comments, were analysed using thematic discourse analysis. The resulting themes represented two subject positions occupied by childfree TikTok users in relation to people who choose to have children: the responsible childfree individual who constructs childfreedom as moral and socially conscientious; and the enlightened childfree individual who constructs childfreedom as rational and autonomous. Together, these positions reveal how TikTok functions as a space where pronatalist narratives are both reinforced and contested. The findings highlight the persistence of stigma alongside emerging counter-discourses that legitimise and empower the childfree identity. This research demonstrates social media’s role in shaping contemporary understandings of reproductive choice and belonging.