Are smartphones to blame for declining birth rates?
The article discusses the claim that smartphones are responsible for declining birth rates. It argues that while there is a correlation between smartphone usage and falling fertility rates, correlation does not imply causation. The authors emphasize the need for more rigorous evidence to establish any causal link between the two phenomena.
- ▪Fertility rates were declining before the advent of smartphones.
- ▪Correlation between smartphone use and declining birth rates does not prove causation.
- ▪A more comprehensive analysis is needed to understand the factors influencing fertility rates.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Are smartphones really to blame for declining birth rates? By Deborah Cohen and Peter Tennant Fertility rates were dropping long before the advent of smartphones. Credit: Getty 4GBirth ratesCovidFTPregnancySmartphones Latest from the Newsroom 16:01 It is absurd to condemn Charles Dickens as racist 16:00 It is absurd to condemn Charles Dickens as racist 12:01 Why are so many MPs suffering from burnout? May 19 2026 - 3:00pm There’s nothing quite like a graph to capture the public imagination. Ever since the Covid era, in which viral dashboards featuring flawed cross-country comparisons were all the rage, charts have taken on a life of their own. The most recent is a striking visual from John Burn-Murdoch of the Financial Times.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at UnHerd.
