By now, we're all pretty familiar with the many ills caused by screen addiction. The smartphone has smashed through modern life like a wrecking ball, and for every convenience it's brought us, there's a trade-off, from increased anxiety levels to a lack of social connection. Oh, and it might have lowered the birth rate, too!
Yep, a depressing new study has revealed that the smartphone arrived just before fertility rates plunged in the US, and the two could be directly related. Several explanations have been offered for the lowering fertility rate over the years, but this is the first time the smartphone has been named the culprit – and the case is pretty compelling.
Snappily titled 'Is the iPhone Birth Control?', the study by the National Bureau of Economic Research explores the role of " the diffusion of the smartphone" on the fertility rate, which has has fallen by 22% since 2007, "a sustained decline not readily explained by economic conditions, contraceptive use, housing or childcare costs, or other commonly cited factors."
"Overall, the diffusion of the iPhone explains 33–52% of the decline in the general fertility rate among women aged 15–44. National-survey evidence on time use and sexual behavior is consistent with the iPhone reducing in-person interactions, increasing pornography use, and reducing sexual frequency."
The study found in areas where more than 90% of inhabitants had a smartphone, the fertility rate fell much more than it did in counties where less than 10% of inhabitants did. And the drop was sharpest among teenagers – 26% among 15- to 19-year-olds.
So there we have it; yet another thing to blame smartphones for. Next they'll be telling us they're responsible for the wholesale destruction of our attention spans! Ha.
