Cousins are disappearing. Is this reshaping the experience of childhood?

The linked article is about the trend of Canadian children having fewer cousins due to a global decline in extended families caused by decreasing fertility rates. Sociologists emphasize the importance of cousins as "weak ties" in developing social support networks. There is a projection for a 76% decrease in living cousins for Canadian women aged 15, while statistics indicate one-child families are now the most common type across Canada and the proportion of women aged 50 and over with no biological children is significantly increasing. As a result, researchers suggest promoting the development of close friendships and building a family of choice based on voluntary kin.