Lack of Access to High-Speed Internet Impacts Children

According to Pew Research, due to 15% of US households not having accessible high-speed Internet, some teens are faced with digital obstacles that make it harder to complete homework. This is especially true for school children in lower income households.

This digital divide is often called the homework gap and impacts nearly 33% of children between the ages of 6 and 17 with an annual household income under $30,000 that don’t have access to high speed Internet. Teens with unreliable Internet access at home must find alternative locations to use the Internet. 12% of teens have used public Wi-Fi. This is most prevalent in lower income Hispanic and black households.

Additional information includes:

• 17% of teens have been unable to complete homework assignments due to unreliable Internet and computer access. Of that, 24% of teens with an annual household income of under $30,000 have trouble completing homework assignments.
• 35% of teens have used their cellphone to do their homework. In households who make under $30,000 annually, 45% of teens rely on their cellphone to do their homework.
• 4% of teens in households with an annual income of $75,000 or more do not have access to a computer at home, while 25% of teens in households with an annual income of under $30,000 do not have a home computer.

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