The iPhone Tanked Birth RatesResearchers at the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research came to this conclusion. They compared birth rates from 2007 to 2011 in counties where AT&T dominated against "control" counties served by other carriers.
Since the iPhone was sold exclusively by AT&T in the U.S. until 2011, this allowed them to connect smartphone adoption to fertility rates.
It turned out that in counties with iPhone access, fertility dropped among girls aged 15–19 by 4.5–8%, among women aged 20–24 by 3.2–6.6%, and in the 30–34 age group by 2.7–3.6%, compared to counties where Apple devices hadn't yet become widespread.
Why Is This Happening?Smartphones reduce time spent with friends and potential partners, competing directly with sexual experiences due to their large screens and 3G technology.
"The iPhone made pornography on demand always accessible and private," the analysts write.
And as smartphones became entrenched in daily life, these trends only deepened. Demographers predict the "smartphone-shaped generation" will set a historic record for low birth rates.Do smartphones destroy fertility?
— Yeah, definitely!
— Maybe it's about economics?@Sciencpedia
