The Rural Digital Divide

Rural America has long been America’s main driving force up until urbanization. Despite the population’s large shift to urban areas,  rural lands still make up about 19 percent of the population and ninety-seven percent of the country’s landmass (United States Census Bureau, 2017). The people within these rural areas are tasked with supplying the nation with “food, fiber, and fuel” (p.1), along with functioning at the same level society does within an urban environment (Rurality in the United States, 2011). With limited options within these areas in regards to things to do, the large spatial distances put increasing pressure on its 14 million residents who lack access to a broadband connection (Lee, n.d). This puts them at a significant disadvantage socially, economically, and especially educationally, evincing a serious digital divide. A digital divide presents two sides where one has reliable access to the internet while the other does not. Any students having to study within an environment lacking an internet connection are much more likely to be hindered.

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Access to the internet is essential, allowing for a myriad of perspectives from all over the world. Living within a rural area, people are limited by the diversity to be had and unheard experiences. Research conducted by Lenovo displayed that 12,600 people from around the world believe that our technology with access to the internet helps us all be more tolerant and open-minded toward one another (Tech makes people “more open-minded and charitable”, finds Lenovo, 2019). People can gain a much larger worldview than from just one rural town alone, and this actively applies to how people engage with one another. Having knowledge of what is going on within the world serves to educate people on people, building understanding, and empathy. Breaching the social bubble of a rural town is easily done with reliable access to the internet. In addition to this, those who feel isolated due to their ethnicity, identity, or sexual preference, are given the opportunity to talk to those they can relate to online. This allows them to express themselves freely and mitigate what may be the lack of diversity in their rural area.

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There are also many economic disadvantages stemming from the digital divide as access to a digital market allows for a much cheaper method of conducting business. Those that cannot afford to own a brick-and-mortar shop can mitigate the costs of a physical shop by engaging in online commerce, selling and shipping their products or services online. Adding broadband access to the rural areas of the United States is predicted to cost around $40 billion.This drastically lowers the chances of being able to participate in the digital economy (Lee, n.d). Without a strong signal, carrying out orders online is drastically more tedious and hinders those that cannot afford the extra cost of getting a better internet connection. This lack of income puts more pressure on both students and their families as they require these funds for the necessities of life.

 

Along with economic struggles influenced by a lack of internet come the negative impacts to education. Engaging with schooling during events such as the COVID-19 pandemic is nearly impossible and dangerous for those who lack an internet connection. Having to go out in search of a hotspot or public computer directly puts people in harm's way and those with access to the internet suffer from poor connections, making their education experience much less effective. Knowledge of issues is also limited, increasing the chance of misinformation. Outdated or false information carried through rumor and speculation, such as the belief that face masks do not stop the spread of viruses, directly impacts communities. Reliable access to online professionals and data can help educate the population tremendously and keep it healthier and ultimately much safer. Rural schools are forced to pay twice as much for bandwidth due to the lack of high-speed fiber (West and Karsten, 2016). This adds to the budget constraints schools must function within, limiting resources affordable to them. This also reduces the effectiveness of schooling for students and potentially takes away another chance of receiving reliable information.

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These social, economic, and educational impacts heavily influence one another and serve to widen the digital divide. The marginalization of low-income families and minorities is also bolstered through the digital divide within these rural areas. Students having to go back home to these areas and maintain the resources supplied by the Florida State University campus undergo immense pressure. The digital divide impacts these students and many others nationally, limiting their potential and abilities.