Smartphones May Be Quietly Shrinking Birth Rates, Studies Find
Two studies link smartphone diffusion, starting with the iPhone in 2007, to notable drops in births in the U.S. (4.5–8.0% for ages 15–19; 3.2–6.6% for ages 20–24) and across 128 countries, suggesting a global 'technology shock' that reduced in-person dating and sexual activity; however, causality is not proven and declines began before smartphones for some groups.