Soap Operas and Fertility: Evidence from Brazil
研究巴西肥皂剧对生育率的影响，发现Globo电视台覆盖地区的女性生育率显著降低，尤其对低社会经济地位女性和生育中后期影响最大，且结果不受电视台进入市场的选择性偏差影响。
We estimate the effect of television on fertility in Brazil, where soap operas portray small families. We exploit differences in the timing of entry into different markets of Globo, the main novela producer. Women living in areas covered by Globo have significantly lower fertility. The effect is strongest for women of lower socioeconomic status and in the central and late phases of fertility, consistent with stopping behavior. The result does not appear to be driven by selection in Globo entry. We provide evidence that novelas, and not just television, affected individual choices, based on children's naming patterns and novela content.