Smartphones and social networks are influencing the rapid decline in the world’s birth rate: results of a study by experts

The decline in the world’s fertility rate has long been beyond the scope of a single cause, as the decision to have children is influenced by housing costs, unstable work, anxiety about the future, later marriages, migration, changing family roles, and the new digital behavior of young people. For many people, the smartphone has become the main place for communication, acquaintances, leisure, and comparison with others, so it is gradually changing not only everyday life, but also the way people build close relationships, create families, and postpone decisions about having children.

The widespread use of smartphones and mobile Internet influenced the global decline in fertility

The widespread use of smartphones and mobile Internet in the 2000s and 2010s could have been one of the important factors in the global decline in fertility. This conclusion was reached by experts after analyzing demographic indicators in different regions of the world.

In France and Poland, the decline became pronounced after 2009, when social networks and mobile applications quickly entered everyday life. In Mexico and Indonesia, a similar turning point occurred around 2012, and in Ghana and Nigeria – in 2013-2015, when mobile Internet began to reach a much wider audience.

The researchers also drew attention to data from the United States and Great Britain. There, the birth rate fell earlier and more deeply in regions where 4G Internet appeared faster, which gave people constant access to social networks, video platforms, online dating and digital entertainment.

How Smartphones Are Changing Dating

As experts note, real-life dating, which used to occur more often through study, work, friends, neighborhood, or shared events, is increasingly moving into the digital space. A person can correspond for hours, browse profiles, like, and remain in the illusion of an active social life, although real-life meetings are becoming fewer.

This format of communication weakens the randomness and naturalness of dating. In relationships, the role of selection, comparison, rapid switching of attention, and constant evaluation increases, which is why close contact often does not have time to turn into a stable relationship.

Dating apps play a special role, where choosing a partner resembles watching an endless tape. A large number of options can create the feeling that the best choice is always ahead, so some people postpone serious decisions or quickly stop communicating after the first difficulties.

Social media raises expectations of partners

According to experts, social media creates an environment where people see edited photos, success stories, demonstrations of wealth, travel, beautiful lifestyles, and “perfect” relationships every day. Such comparisons gradually influence expectations of a partner, even if the person is not always aware of this influence.

For young women, social media can open up a broader view of education, independence, career, security, and equal relationships, and for men, create additional pressure through expectations of financial stability, external success, and willingness to meet high standards. As a result, some couples do not form because real people seem to not match the digital images.

This does not mean that higher expectations are a problem in themselves. The problem arises when an online picture replaces real communication, and the choice of a partner turns into a constant comparison with unattainable or artificially embellished examples.

Why young people under 30 are at the center of change

According to the results of the study, the most noticeable decrease in interest in starting a family is observed among people under 30, because they are the ones who most actively use smartphones, social networks and mobile applications. For this age group, the digital environment has become not an addition to life, but a permanent part of it.

Young people are more likely to study, work, meet, relax and receive news through a single screen. Such concentration of life on the phone reduces the number of spontaneous meetings and live social connections, which previously often became the basis of long-term relationships.

In addition, the digital space takes away time and attention that could be spent on building real contacts. Evenings, meetings, joint activities and conversations are increasingly replaced by watching a tape, short videos or correspondence without continuation in real life.

Economic reasons remain key

According to experts, technology does not fully explain the demographic decline. Many people are postponing having children due to high housing costs, unstable incomes, job insecurity, the difficulty of combining career and parenthood, and the unequal distribution of household responsibilities.

Surveys in the UN Population Fund reports show that financial difficulties remain one of the main obstacles to having children. People also cite fear of the future and unstable employment, which make family plans less realistic even for those who would like to have a child.

The digital factor in this situation works as an additional layer. It does not replace economic reasons, but it affects the first stage – acquaintance, choice of partner, readiness for stable relationships and the ability to build trust off-screen.

The Situation in Ukraine

For Ukraine, the demographic problem has become particularly acute due to war, forced migration, separated families, deaths, loss of housing, and uncertainty about the future. In such conditions, the decision to have a child is often postponed not for one reason, but for a combination of security, economic, and psychological factors.

According to the Ministry of Justice, 168,778 children were born in Ukraine in 2025, which is three times less than the number of deaths over the same period. Compared to 2021, the birth rate decreased by 1.6 times.

Against this background, the digital behavior of young people is not the main Ukrainian cause of demographic decline, but it may exacerbate the general trend. If young people meet less in person, live more often in a state of anxiety, postpone stable relationships for longer, and at the same time face war and financial uncertainty, the decision to start a family is pushed back even further.

The decline in the birth rate is increasingly linked not only to the economy, but also to changes in lifestyle. Smartphones have given people more freedom, information and contacts, but at the same time changed the quality of communication, increased the level of comparison and weakened some of the living social ties.

For states, this means that demographic policy cannot be reduced to one-time payments for the birth of a child. We need affordable housing, stable employment, support for parents, quality medicine, kindergartens, paid vacations and an environment in which young people have not only the financial opportunity, but also real social conditions for starting a family.