Study: smartphones may explain 1-third to half US birth decline
Technology
A new study says the iPhone's 2007 launch might have played a surprisingly big part in America's falling birth rates.
Researchers estimate that smartphones could explain one-third to half of the drop since then.
Texting and streaming reduced in-person dating
The study found that places where people got iPhones sooner saw bigger declines in births, especially among women ages 15 to 24.
The reason? People spent more time texting, scrolling, and streaming and less time meeting up in person or dating.
Critics say things like the economy also matter, but smartphones may have changed how young people connect and think about starting families.