This week, the National 4-H Council released the results of its Digital Impact Survey, which was conducted in conjunction with Microsoft to investigate how lack of broadband internet has impacted the economic opportunities and social mobility of rural America.
“Limited high speed internet access makes everyday tasks — like looking for jobs, applying to college and connecting with peers,” 4-H says on its website.
While things are improving in rural America, there are still a large amount of teens who are being hindered by not having high-quality internet.
The survey revealed 1-in-4 American teens living in rural areas lack broadband internet and 43 percent struggle to complete homework assignments because of poor internet.
These factors can not only influence performance in school but also their view of themselves. Seventy-nine percent of teens with broadband access say they are more likely to make a higher income than their parents while only 66 percent of those without broadband access feel the same way.
Additionally, teens see the value in high-speed internet as 80 percent said it would improve their local economy.
You can see the full results here.