According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the fertility rate has continued to decline. The Total Fertility Rate, defined as the average number of children a woman has by the end of her childbearing years, indicated that in 1993, women had an average of 4.1 children. In 2025, this has significantly dropped to 1.7.  

While rising costs in healthcare, childcare, and daily living, as well as greater options and availability of contraceptives, are considered factors in this decline, a new study in the United States has identified another factor: Smartphones.

According to a new paper by Caitlin Myers, an economist at Middlebury College and the National Bureau of Economic Research, and her stepson, Ezekiel Hopper, who co-authored the paper, there has been a noticeable decline in the fertility rate in the United States since smartphones became popular.

In 2007, the iPhone, which is considered the first modern smartphone, was released. Myers and Hopper examined the relationship between smartphone use and the fertility rate. According to their paper, in counties where more than 90% of residents had early access to phones, there was a significant drop in the fertility rate compared with counties where less than 10% had network coverage.

The paper's theory is that technology, made easily available at our fingertips, has become a rival to people spending time with their partners. This makes it less likely for couples to have sex and leads to fewer pregnancies.

In January 2025, there were 97.5 million internet users in the Philippines, according to dataportal.com; this equates to 83.8% of the population. According to meltwater.com, Filipinos spend an average of 33 hours and 50 minutes a week on social media; this also means social interactions happen more through screens than in person.

“We’re not saying that this (smartphones) is the only factor (in the decline of the fertility rate); we’re saying that it’s a major factor,” Myers said. While other factors may influence families' decisions to have fewer children or not to have children at all, those who do want them should probably consider putting down their phones first.