Tweet sixteen and pregnant: missing links in the causal chain from reality TV to fertility. A replication study of Kearney & Levine (American Economic Review, 2015)

David A. Jaeger; Theodore Joyce; Robert Kaestner

doi:10.18718/81781.10

Tweet sixteen and pregnant: missing links in the causal chain from reality TV to fertility. A replication study of Kearney & Levine (American Economic Review, 2015)

David A. Jaeger, Theodore Joyce, Robert Kaestner

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Abstract

We replicate and extend the analysis of the positive association between social media (Google searches and tweets) and the MTV program 16 and Pregnant recently published by Melissa Kearney and Phillip Levine (2015). We find that the relationship disappears or even turns negative when we include in the analysis periods when new episodes of 16 and Pregnant were not being broadcast. The results are also sensitive to the use of weights. Our results cast substantial doubt on social media as a link in the causal chain between reality television and fertility.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-16
Number of pages	16
Journal	International Journal for Re-Views in Empirical Economics
Volume	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.18718/81781.10
Publication status	Published - 29 Jan 2019

Keywords

Social media
Fertility
Birth control
Abortion
16 and Pregnant
Event study
Replication study

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10.18718/81781.10Licence: CC BY

Jaeger_IREE_Tweet16_CC
Copyright © Author(s) 2019. Open Access article. Licensed under the Creative Common License - Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
Final published version, 257 KBLicence: CC BY

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Tweet sixteen and pregnant: missing links in the causal chain from reality TV to fertility. A replication study of Kearney & Levine (American Economic Review, 2015). / Jaeger, David A.; Joyce, Theodore; Kaestner, Robert.
In: International Journal for Re-Views in Empirical Economics, Vol. 3, 29.01.2019, p. 1-16.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

TY - JOUR

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T2 - missing links in the causal chain from reality TV to fertility. A replication study of Kearney & Levine (American Economic Review, 2015)

AU - Jaeger, David A.

AU - Joyce, Theodore

AU - Kaestner, Robert

PY - 2019/1/29

Y1 - 2019/1/29

N2 - We replicate and extend the analysis of the positive association between social media (Google searches and tweets) and the MTV program 16 and Pregnant recently published by Melissa Kearney and Phillip Levine (2015). We find that the relationship disappears or even turns negative when we include in the analysis periods when new episodes of 16 and Pregnant were not being broadcast. The results are also sensitive to the use of weights. Our results cast substantial doubt on social media as a link in the causal chain between reality television and fertility.

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KW - Social media

KW - Fertility

KW - Birth control

KW - Abortion

KW - 16 and Pregnant

KW - Event study

KW - Replication study

U2 - 10.18718/81781.10

DO - 10.18718/81781.10

M3 - Article

SN - 2566-8269

VL - 3

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JO - International Journal for Re-Views in Empirical Economics

JF - International Journal for Re-Views in Empirical Economics

ER -

Tweet sixteen and pregnant: missing links in the causal chain from reality TV to fertility. A replication study of Kearney & Levine (American Economic Review, 2015)

Abstract

Keywords

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