Lauren Veldhuizen asks a provocative question: “Is the iPhone Birth Control?” She cites a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research that concluded that the diffusion of the iPhone accelerated the post-2007 US fertility decline. The researchers estimate that it could account for a third to a half of the percent drop.

In her article, she makes it clear that she isn’t saying that the iPhone made women “infertile.” Instead, her article and the research study argue that the spread of the iPhone, and constant access to it, affected certain behaviors. I think we all know what this issue is. These smartphones hindered the formation of relationships and led to less intimacy.

Of course, we didn’t really need a massive study to understand what has been taking place. Smartphones decrease the amount of face-to-face socializing, while at the same time increase the amount of time spent alone. They also give access to pornography and other visuals that are destructive of positive social relationships.

She summarizes the technical conclusions with these simple phrases: "phones made us less social; as a result, fewer people date, and fewer babies are born." This may have led to fewer teen pregnancies, but in the long term it resulted in our declining birth rate.

In previous commentaries I have documented the social and psychological impact of smartphones on the youngest generation over the last two decades. Add declining fertility to this growing list. 

She laments that “phones have turned us into awkward, antisocial puppies who can’t handle eye contact, so we stand in corners at bars and don’t talk to one another.” This study is another reason why we need to put down our phones.