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High-Speed Broadband and Academic Achievement in Teenagers: Evidence from Sweden

Grenestam, Erik LU and Nordin, Martin LU (2017) In Working Papers
Abstract
This study examines the effects of super-fast internet connections on the academic achievement of students in upper secondary school. We link detailed register data on around 250,000 students to local levels of access to optic fiber broadband, in order to estimate a causal effect of broadband on student GPA. We show that reaching full coverage in the student’s parish of residence causes a GPA reduction ranging from 3 to 6 percent of a standard deviation. Estimates are consistently more negative for boys and students with low ability and/or low-educated parents. Using PISA survey data, we provide evidence that students living in areas with the greatest high-speed broadband expansion also spend more time online during weekdays, suggesting... (More)
This study examines the effects of super-fast internet connections on the academic achievement of students in upper secondary school. We link detailed register data on around 250,000 students to local levels of access to optic fiber broadband, in order to estimate a causal effect of broadband on student GPA. We show that reaching full coverage in the student’s parish of residence causes a GPA reduction ranging from 3 to 6 percent of a standard deviation. Estimates are consistently more negative for boys and students with low ability and/or low-educated parents. Using PISA survey data, we provide evidence that students living in areas with the greatest high-speed broadband expansion also spend more time online during weekdays, suggesting student time use as a potential mechanism. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Working paper/Preprint
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Education, Broadband, Internet, High-school, GPA, H52, I24, I28, J24, O33
in
Working Papers
issue
2017:17
pages
36 pages
publisher
Department of Economics, Lund University
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
407ea657-9358-4cee-8fbd-94ff96648466
alternative location
https://swopec.hhs.se/lunewp/abs/lunewp2017_017.htm
date added to LUP
2018-02-16 11:28:40
date last changed
2020-12-04 11:11:31
@misc{407ea657-9358-4cee-8fbd-94ff96648466,
  abstract     = {{This study examines the effects of super-fast internet connections on the academic achievement of students in upper secondary school. We link detailed register data on around 250,000 students to local levels of access to optic fiber broadband, in order to estimate a causal effect of broadband on student GPA. We show that reaching full coverage in the student’s parish of residence causes a GPA reduction ranging from 3 to 6 percent of a standard deviation. Estimates are consistently more negative for boys and students with low ability and/or low-educated parents. Using PISA survey data, we provide evidence that students living in areas with the greatest high-speed broadband expansion also spend more time online during weekdays, suggesting student time use as a potential mechanism.}},
  author       = {{Grenestam, Erik and Nordin, Martin}},
  keywords     = {{Education; Broadband; Internet; High-school; GPA; H52; I24; I28; J24; O33}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Working Paper}},
  number       = {{2017:17}},
  publisher    = {{Department of Economics, Lund University}},
  series       = {{Working Papers}},
  title        = {{High-Speed Broadband and Academic Achievement in Teenagers: Evidence from Sweden}},
  url          = {{https://swopec.hhs.se/lunewp/abs/lunewp2017_017.htm}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}