Digital Media and Human Capital in Rural America: Differentiating the role of Access, Skills, and Excessive Media Use for Educational Performance and Aspirations

Compared with their urban and suburban peers, rural students are less likely to complete higher education. If access and use of digital technologies are supportive of students’ human capital, deficits in Internet access may further concentrate the inequalities of rural youth. However, there is mixed evidence that Internet use plays a supportive role in the formation of young peoples’ human capital. This presentation discusses implications for rural students’ access to human capital, and how the unequal relationship between digital skills and performance in the classroom and the SAT may perpetuate rural inequalities. After the talk concludes at 4:45, Keith will chat with interested grad students for an additional half hour about careers, research, professional development and more. He welcomes questions!