Are smartphones behind the fertility decline?
The article discusses the potential link between smartphones and declining fertility rates. The author expresses skepticism about the strength of this relationship, suggesting that smartphones may only accelerate existing trends. Additionally, there are questions about the actual capabilities of smartphones in certain regions, such as Kenya.
- ▪The author is skeptical about the strong connection between smartphones and fertility decline.
- ▪Smartphones might contribute to a modest acceleration of an already existing trend.
- ▪There are doubts regarding the effectiveness of smartphones in some countries, like Kenya.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Why I am skeptical on the relationship between smart phones and fertility by Tyler Cowen May 18, 2026 at 12:34 am in Data Source That is from Alex Nowrasteh. And for some country by country graphs: Here is that link. There might be some connection to smart phones, but it just does not seem that strong? Perhaps the phones give a fillip and a modest acceleration to an already in place trend? And are Kenya’s phones really all that “smart,” even today? 68 Comments Facebook Twitter RSS Feed print Comments Sort by Top Sort by Recent Sort by Controversial <article class="blog-comment depth-<%= model.depth %>" id="blog-comment-<%= model.id %>" data-user-vote="<%= model.user_vote %>" data-vote-count="<%= model.vote_count %>" data-vote-total="<%= model.vote_total %>" data-updoots="<%= model.updoots…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Marginal REVOLUTION.
