Studies link smartphones to drop in birth rates
Researchers say the iPhone and other smartphones cut in-person socializing and raised access to pornography and contraception information, helping drive a 22% drop in U.S. fertility since 2007.
- Economist Caitlin Myers and co-author Ezekiel Hooper published a working paper last week suggesting smartphones explain up to half of the U.S. fertility decline between 2007 and 2011.
- By serving as a "substitute" for in-person contact, smartphones shifted how adolescents spend time, potentially reducing unintended pregnancies by limiting social interactions, Hooper said.
- Birth rates among 15- to 19-year-olds fell about 26% in counties with broad smartphone access versus 14% in limited areas; women in their 20s saw a 15% decline compared to 10%.
- Other experts, including Dr. Sarah Hayford of The Ohio State University, note fertility trends began decades before the iPhone, while Dr. Alison Gemmill of the UCLA School of Public Health cited shifting labor markets and IUD access.
- With smartphones now ubiquitous, Myers questions whether birth rates will level off. "I think it's possible that we'll continue to see effects of phones on behavior and outcomes like fertility for years to come," she said.
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The birth rate in the United States has been declining for decades, which has led researchers and policymakers to look for causes that help identify solutions. All kinds of theories have emerged, since the dizzying increase in costs...
Smartphones arrived just before the US fertility rate plunged. One study says it’s a direct cause
The US fertility rate has been trending down for decades, leaving researchers and policymakers searching for causes that may help pinpoint solutions. There have been all kinds of theories, including soaring costs of childcare, the rise of birth control and even the role of car seat regulations.
Fertility Rates Declining Due to Smartphone Use, New Study Says
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study links declining U.S. birth rates since 2007 to the rise of smartphones like the iPhone, with a steady decline of 23% from 2007 to 2025 among women aged 15-44.
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