The scalpel has done its work and with a gentle tug our grandson slides into the world. Still tethered to his mother by a ropey umbilical cord, he's all limbs; long arms and spidery legs stretching awkwardly, finally freed from the confines of the womb.
Smears of blood and amniotic fluid are wiped away. Then he screws up his face like a resentful old man woken from a nap and unleashes that first indignant cry of new life.
The raw, bloody miracle of a Caesarean birth, captured live in high definition, is now proudly replayed on our smartphone screens for not so squeamish friends and family.
Ironic, then, that a device allowing us to gaze in wonder at our grandson's arrival might also be serving as a contraceptive to a generation of prospective parents, accelerating the world's plummeting fertility levels.
More than half the global population lives in countries with fertility rates below the replacement level of 2.1 babies per woman. While the decline has been evident for decades - in 1950 the global rate was almost five births per woman - what has most puzzled demographers is the speed and scope of the collapse.
There are many reasons - reliable contraception is easier to obtain, the number of educated women in the workforce has soared and the economic burden of raising children has never seemed heavier, with couples delaying having families because of careers and housing affordability.
But researchers are increasingly identifying 2007 - the year Apple released the first smartphone - as the moment Western fertility rates dramatically nosedived. Two new studies say the rise of the iPhone profoundly altered the way young people interact, rewiring the ancient rituals of human courtship.
One study, published by the US National Bureau of Economic Research, blames the iPhone for almost half the decline in American fertility rates between 2007 and 2011. Researchers theorise that young people between the ages of 15 and 24 began socialising more on digital media and less in real life - reducing the likelihood of meeting in person, having sex and falling pregnant.
Another study out of the University of Cincinnati tracked teenage fertility rates by analysing global data from more than 120 countries. It found that when smartphones became available on a mass level the decline of fertility rates accelerated in both developed and underdeveloped nations. Research also suggests fertility rates dropped even further in places where high-speed access to the web was available.
For most of human history finding a mate required leaving the cave. Today many don't leave the couch, lured by the dopamine hit provided by smartphones and forming part of a generation of young people scrolling at home rather than flirting in public.
The impact is significant and Japan's shrinking population offers a glimpse of the future. With nearly a third of its population aged over 65, adult diaper sales officially passed those of infant nappies back in 2011.
Its population is contracting by half a million people each year, leading to a phenomenon dubbed "shrinkonomics". A majority of Japanese companies report critical labour shortages, the nation's tax base is evaporating while spending on healthcare and pensions is ballooning. Japan's resulting public debt is among the highest in the world.
You can't blame the smartphone on Japan's population woes - its birth rate has been plummeting for decades. But while experts say that decline is irreversible, it doesn't necessarily mean civilisational collapse is around the corner. Japan is investing heavily in robotics and AI to maintain productivity with a vastly reduced workforce, making it a potential role model for many countries.
We've come a long way since the doomsayers of the 1970s predicted an overpopulated world gripped by mass starvation and global conflict over dwindling resources. Our newly born grandson will grow up in a mirror image of that apocalyptic scenario.
The smartphone may only be one contributing factor. But the screen that allows us to watch him enter the world also appears to be a technology guaranteeing fewer children like him in the years to come.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Can AI and robotics solve the problem of declining birth rates? Have smartphones fundamentally altered the rituals of human courtship? Do you know anyone with a large family these days? Email us: echidna@theechidna.com.au
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THEY SAID IT: "Population collapse due to low birth rates is a much bigger risk to civilisation than global warming." - Elon Musk
YOU SAID IT: Today's technology was unimaginable not long ago. It may be convenient but it's not without cost - to our bank accounts, our privacy and our sense of wellbeing.
Maddie writes: "And we all are complicit by prioritising convenience over privacy and price, except for Luddites like me. No (anti-social) media, no GPS, no Chinese cars, etc. Time to grow up, kids. We are already in 1984. Wake up and act."
"If we had the access to information in the 1970s that we have today, I would have been able to make better decisions and fewer costly mistakes, some of which led to very damaging outcomes for me and for others," writes Jennifer. "If I'd had a mobile phone, I would have been much safer. Today, we can decide what we need and reject what we don't, most of the time."
Arthur writes: "We should not need a smart (dumb) phone to tell us to turn off most of the useless technology. Technology has drowned common sense."
"Yes, there is a gadget for everything," writes Brian. "My brother-in-law, who is keen on gadgets, recently upgraded his robotic vacuum cleaner and suggested I might like his old one to do our hardwood floor. The cleaner required its own station which took up a lot of room, remained on standby using electricity, had disposable bags and if I wanted would also wash the floors again requiring a special solution. It also required a phone app to be downloaded and connect to my internet. After about an hour of unsuccessfully trying to get it to work I politely declined the offer. I figured 10 minutes with a broom, brush and pan every couple of days would provide some incidental exercise and save over the course of a year both time and money."
Wendy writes: "Not only are we drowning in tech, our lives and homes are being invaded by it. For the past two days, I have spent precious time trying to remove Google Chrome not only from my devices, but also from my television: it had become linked to my Google account, and became 'my Google TV'!"
"Luddites weren't against technological advances but against unbridled technological advances," writes Erik. "We're seeing that at the moment in AI and data centres, both uncontrolled and potentially leading to disastrous consequences except for those making money out of them. There's nothing wrong with being a Luddite in those circumstances."
