When smartphones are more interesting that other things….!
Smartphones are killing off population growth rates, with a marked global decline in population since they first hit the shelves in 2007. Watch this 2-minute clip by Alan Kohler as he unpacks why population growth rates are declining and suggests there is a correlation between smartphones and sex, this impacts income tax revenue as he outlines and the government’s ability to pay for pensions..
ACARA Alignment: ACHEK052
Clip Length: 1:57minutes
Year: 2026
URL: https://youtu.be/_1BmQ8bID-g?si=v7B7I30YjywdD97p
Economics Concepts: Population growth rates, government pension payments, provision of services
- Download the global population growth rate (from Our World in Data, link below)
- Ask students what historical situations may have influenced the changes in the annual global population growth rate? (They may identify World War One, World War Two, Returning WW2 soldiers having children increasing global population growth rates, COVID-19)
- In class display and explore Australia’s population growth compared to China, United States and other countries (How has world population growth changed over time? | Our World in Data)
- Next show students the Alan Kohler clip
- Get students to discuss in groups potential fiscal policies to increase population growth rates.
- After the discussion invite one student from each group to share their strategy.
Policy Application Extension
- Now display the SBS budget image and inform students that population growth rates continue to decline reducing income tax revenue, requiring a 15% cut in the budget.
- Ask students to discuss in their groups how they would save $15 from the $100 budget. What would they cut and why?
- SBS 2026 budget image from https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/the-australian-budget-is-big-lets-break-it-down/mufz7dk4i
Get students to share their budget cuts and discuss the potential impact of their solutions on national security, workforce productivity, social welfare, service provision and human capital acquisition (future workforce skills and productivity).