Offline Effects of Online Connecting: The Impact of Broadband Diffusion on Teen Fertility Decisions

39 Pages Posted: 1 Jun 2015

See all articles by Melanie Guldi

Melanie Guldi

Mount Holyoke College - Department of Economics; University of Central Florida - College of Business Administration - Department of Economics

Chris M. Herbst

Arizona State University (ASU) - School of Public Affairs

Abstract

Broadband (high-speed) internet access expanded rapidly from 1999 to 2007. This expansion is associated with higher economic growth and labor market activity. In this paper, we examine whether the rollout also affected the social connections teens make. Specifically, we look at the relationship between increased broadband access and teen fertility. We hypothesize that increasing access to high-speed internet can influence fertility decisions by changing the size of the market as well as increasing the information available to participants in the market. We seek to understand both the overall effect of broadband internet on teen fertility as well as the mechanisms underlying this effect. Our results suggest that increased broadband access explains at least thirteen percent of the decline in the teen birth rate between 1999 and 2007. Although we focus on social markets, this work contributes more broadly to an understanding of how new technology interacts with existing markets.

Keywords: fertility, birth rates, broadband, new media

JEL Classification: J13, J18

Suggested Citation

Guldi, Melanie and Guldi, Melanie and Herbst, Chris M., Offline Effects of Online Connecting: The Impact of Broadband Diffusion on Teen Fertility Decisions. IZA Discussion Paper No. 9076, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2612328 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2612328

Melanie Guldi (Contact Author)

Mount Holyoke College - Department of Economics ( email )

South Hadley, MA 01075
United States

University of Central Florida - College of Business Administration - Department of Economics ( email )

Orlando, FL 32816-1400
United States

Chris M. Herbst

Arizona State University (ASU) - School of Public Affairs ( email )

Box 870603
Tempe, AZ 85287
United States

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