New research published in the United States suggests smartphone use may contribute to declining fertility. The studies, including a paper released by the National Bureau of Economic Research, examine why US birth rates fall significantly over time and note that fertility has declined by about 22% since 2007. Researchers say earlier explanations—such as the economic stress associated with the 2008 financial crisis—do not fully account for the trend because birth rates did not rebound after the economy improved. Instead, the new work points to the increasing role of smartphones, including how they may affect people’s decisions, time use, or relationships. The reporting emphasizes that governments worldwide are searching for ways to reverse falling birth rates, but the new findings argue smartphone-related behavior has been overlooked in policy discussions. The sources describe the research as newly published and framed around a question of whether smartphones, as a category of technology, can function like “birth control.” The articles do not provide definitive policy recommendations, but they present smartphone use as a possible factor alongside other influences on fertility.