Why smartphones aren’t to blame for the falling fertility rate

Several recent papers suggest that smartphones and digital technology have contributed to decreases in the fertility rate. Some researchers are skeptical.

Too many Americans are “under-babied,” Dr. Mehmet Oz has said. He and other Trump administration officials frame the falling fertility rate as a crisis, fueling debates about what’s causing the decline. One argument gaining traction recently is that smartphones have made people less social and therefore less likely to have sex.

Subscribe to read this story ad-free

Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.

Just a moment.

We are getting your experience ready.