The Urban–Rural Digital Divide in Internet Access and Online Activities During the COVID‐19 Pandemic

Kristen Olson, Angelica Phillips, Jolene D. Smyth, Rachel Stenger · 2025 · Rural Sociology

Summary. Rural Nebraskans had significantly lower broadband internet access than urban residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. This infrastructure gap directly limited rural residents' ability to order food and groceries online, stream entertainment, and use videoconferencing for work and medical care. However, rural residents' lower engagement in social media, online gaming, education, and casual video calls reflected personal preferences rather than infrastructure constraints.

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Olson, K., Phillips, A., Smyth, J. D., & Stenger, R.. (2025). The Urban–Rural Digital Divide in Internet Access and Online Activities During the COVID‐19 Pandemic. Rural Sociology. https://doi.org/10.1111/ruso.70012

@article{olson-2025-urban-rural-digital-divide-internet,
  title   = {The Urban–Rural Digital Divide in Internet Access and Online Activities During the COVID‐19 Pandemic},
  author  = {Kristen Olson and Angelica Phillips and Jolene D. Smyth and Rachel Stenger},
  journal = {Rural Sociology},
  year    = {2025},
  doi     = {10.1111/ruso.70012},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1111/ruso.70012}
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - The Urban–Rural Digital Divide in Internet Access and Online Activities During the COVID‐19 Pandemic
AU  - Kristen Olson
AU  - Angelica Phillips
AU  - Jolene D. Smyth
AU  - Rachel Stenger
JO  - Rural Sociology
PY  - 2025
DO  - 10.1111/ruso.70012
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1111/ruso.70012
ER  -

Details

DOI: 10.1111/ruso.70012
Countries: United States
Regions: North America
Categories: broadband-and-digital, rural-data-and-definitions
Added: 2026-04-28