--- title: "Parents Are Letting DNA Testing Dictate How They Raise Their Kids" description: "Chinese parents are using DNA testing to shape how they raise their children, despite the science behind the tests being flimsy at best." date: "2019-11-21" modified: "2019-11-21" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/parents-dna-testing-dictate-raise-kids" categories: - "DNA" - "Genetics" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "DNA testing" - "health" --- # Parents Are Letting DNA Testing Dictate How They Raise Their Kids ![Chinese parents are using DNA testing to shape how they raise their children, despite the science behind the tests being flimsy at best.]() *\Image: Image via Pixabay/Victor Tangermann\* Chinese parents are choosing to have their children's DNA tested to predict future aptitudes and traits, [*Bloomberg* reports]() — and some are even using the information to determine the ideal profession for their child before they're even out of diapers. Chris Jung is the CEO of Good Union Corp., a Hong Kong-based aesthetic medical equipment company. His company owns Gene Discovery, one of countless firms promising to help parents shape their offsprings' future through genetic testing. Jung gave Gene Discovery samples of his daughter's saliva for testing soon after she was born. "Originally, I would like her to become a professional like a doctor or lawyer," he told *Bloomberg*. "But once I looked into the results, it talked about how her memory is so bad. I switched my expectations because if I would like her to become a professional, she needs to study a lot and remember a lot." Jung's not the only parent using DNA testing to guide how they raise their children, either. "I wanted to know about his talents in the future so that I can set a direction for him," one Shanghai mom told *Bloomberg*. "If you believe the results, then you can use it as a reference. If you don’t, that’s fine because it doesn’t hurt." Consumer genetic testing has grown massively in popularity across the globe, particularly in the United States where companies sell DNA testing kits they promise will yield insights about customers' ancestry and even their risks of developing a variety of genetic diseases. Those are already [dubious claims]() — but a genetic test accurately predicting a child's future success in a certain profession is even less likely. "There’s just no way a DNA test will tell you anything that’s meaningful about complex traits," Timothy Caulfield, a bioethicist at the University of Alberta, told *Bloomberg*. "And these parents are changing their kid's lives." ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()