All advanced countries suffer from declining birth rates. Therefore, many of them are obligated to receive new immigrants and grant them citizenship, despite concerns about their health and security, in order to address the growing labor shortage. Even Japan, considered one of the most restrictive countries in granting citizenship, has recently become more lenient, as its elderly population has also been increasing at an alarming rate. A press report stated that the number of births in the United States in 2025 decreased by approximately 710,000 compared with the number in 2007 and is expected to decline further in 2026. Several reasons have been cited for this decline, including increased female education, rising childcare costs, a desire to enjoy life rather than be preoccupied with having and raising children, and other sensitive factors.
This has prompted Western governments to search for the root cause of the phenomenon while also exploring less obvious but potentially more effective solutions. Some believe that mobile phones have become a form of contraception, a widely held explanation that attributes the decline in fertility to this major factor. An AT&T study proved a decrease in births in residential areas where mobile phones were readily available compared with areas where they were not. Researchers concluded that mobile phone penetration explains 33 percent to 52 percent of the overall decline in fertility rates among women aged 15 to 44. Another study, published in May, reached similar conclusions.
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati compared mobile phone network coverage maps with fertility rates across the United States. They replicated their findings in a parallel study in the UK, finding a significant drop in fertility rates among adolescent girls as smartphones reached saturation. Therefore, it is clear that the phone has become an accelerating factor in an existing decline, but not the sole cause. Economic problems, declining social skills, increasing isolation, and feelings of anxiety all contribute to a reluctance to engage in sexual activity and, consequently, to having children.
Upon closer examination, it becomes clear that the fertility crisis is fundamentally a communication crisis. Smartphones exacerbate this crisis through a substitution effect, encouraging a shift from face-to-face interaction to interaction via the phone. Text messages and video calls reduce the need for in-person meetings. Furthermore, screen-based entertainment, such as video games and apps meticulously designed to engage users through repetitive behavior, distracts from the more effort-intensive pleasure of connecting with others. Pornography may also diminish the desire for intimacy.
So, is the solution to get rid of our phones? One of the most prolific fathers in history was Moulay Ismail ibn Sharif, Sultan of Morocco (1672–1727), who is credited with fathering 867 children. According to the Guinness World Records, this is scientifically plausible given his age and the number of his wives. Genghis Khan was also famous for the genetic legacy he left behind, with his Y chromosome reportedly surpassing that of any other person in terms of prevalence.
By Ahmad alsarraf
email: [email protected]
email: [email protected]
