# Leave the birthrate alone **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 15, 2026, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-the-birthrate-alone/1029286 "2026-04-15T12:30:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 279
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2026, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-the-birthrate-alone/1029286/279 "2026-06-12T17:45:28Z")
Trying to get back to birthrates … Interesting cite over here: > [@Anyone here still not have a smartphone?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-still-not-have-a-smartphone/1014428/79): > > Bumped. An interesting theory: My summary of the article cited in that post: A study found that the advent of smartphones in 2007 just cratered teen and barely-20 pregnancies in the USA. While having much smaller effects in the older cohorts. Now, 20 years later, the effects remain strong in the now-young cohort but somewhat diminished in the then-young, now late child-rearing age cohort. Meta-point: Teen pregnancies ~~are~~ were, and have always been, a meaningful fraction of total pregnancies. Achieving replacement fertility without significant teen pregnancy is very difficult and perhaps impossible absent coercive means. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leave-the-birthrate-alone/1029286)._