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on Information and Communication Technologies |
| By: | Lucas Gurgel (Department of Economics, University of Tennessee.) |
| Abstract: | I analyze the impact of high-speed internet connectivity on ADHD outcomes in the United States using county-level data from 2008 to 2023. Exploiting variation in the timing of broadband adoption, I employ two-way fixed effects models to estimate the effect of high-speed internet penetration on the demand for ADHD treatment drugs. I estimate that when counties surpassed 40\% high-speed internet connectivity, total demand for ADHD medications increased by 1.14 percent, with amphetamine-based medications showing the highest increase at 2.45 percent. These effects are more pronounced in smaller counties. I also find some evidence of increased special education enrollment, though these effects are less consistent across specifications. Using the American Time Use Survey to investigate possible mechanisms, I find suggestive evidence that youth, particularly boys, spend more time with computers as their areas gain high-speed connectivity, although small sample sizes yield imprecise estimates. These results suggest that the expansion of digital infrastructure may have contributed to the rise of ADHD diagnoses, with implications for public health policy regarding the broader health effects of increased high-speed internet connectivity. |
| Keywords: | high-speed internet, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (adhd), mental health, learning disabilities, digital exposure. |
| JEL: | I10 I12 I18 I20 |
| Date: | 2025–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ten:wpaper:2025-05 |
| By: | Ghazaryan, Armen; Kirakosyan, Anna |
| Abstract: | Armenia, strategically positioned at the geopolitical crossroads of East and West, is actively pursuing a transformative agenda to establish itself as a "Digital Bridge Gate." This article examines Armenia's digital infrastructure and burgeoning innovation capabilities, analyzing their potential to foster robust communication and trade pathways with the Global South. Leveraging quantitative metrics from the Network Readiness Index (NRI) 2024, the analysis benchmarks Armenia's performance in ICT development, internet penetration, e-government, and digital trade capacity against key Global South nations and developed economies. The report identifies Armenia's existing digital diplomacy initiatives, such as its cooperation with India on Digital Public Infrastructure and its economic partnership with the UAE. It argues that Armenia's unique blend of advanced human capital in software development and a supportive regulatory environment positions it not merely as a conduit but as a potential "Digital Hub" for South-South digital collaboration. Policy recommendations focus on accelerating infrastructure upgrades, boosting AI research, enhancing digital literacy, and strategically leveraging its digital expertise to deepen ties with the Global South, thereby reinforcing its geopolitical resilience and economic diversification. |
| Keywords: | Digital Gateway-Bridge, Global South, Digital Infrastructure, Innovation, Digital Diplomacy, Armenia |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:opodis:333911 |
| By: | Aiyar, Anaka; Butt, Daniyal; Lacy, Katherine; Mukhopadhyay, Sankar |
| Abstract: | The USDA considers broadband access a “modern-day necessity”. However, 22.3% of Americans in rural areas lack high-speed broadband access. In this study, we analyze the impact of four broadband speed expansion programs across the United States. Between 2010 and 2020, the Telecom Infrastructure Borrowers program began offering loans to state and local governments and local organizations to expand broadband infrastructure to underserved telecommunication areas, rural areas, and towns with a population of less than 5000. The Community Connect grants that started in 2013 focused on improving infrastructure to increase broadband speeds in underserved and rural areas. The Farm Bill and the ReConnect program directed funds towards infrastructure expansions in underserved areas across the United States. We construct a unique census tract level panel for the years 2014-2021, with information on loans and grants received by rural areas for broadband expansion from the USDA Rural Development online web maps and FCC broadband speeds data on the census tract level. Then we use this data and a staggered difference in difference approach to identify the effects of funding access on broadband outcomes. Our results show that overall, these programs (primarily driven by the Infrastructure Borrowers) increased median download speeds by around 2 Mbps (or about 0.15 SD) per year. However, our results also suggest that the parallel trends assumption, which is necessary for a causal interpretation of DD estimates, does not hold for any of the programs. We then use a newly developed method that allows us to construct confidence intervals of treatment effects that are robust to the violation of the parallel trend assumption. Using these confidence intervals, we cannot reject the null hypothesis that the treatment effect is zero. |
| Keywords: | Community/Rural/Urban Development |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:361124 |
| By: | Malek, Mohd Dahlan Abdul |
| Abstract: | Understanding Technology in the Context of National Development: Critical Reflections by Tiwari, Kostenko, and Yekhanurov (2025) has quickly gained academic and pedagogical significance. The work offers a comprehensive examination of how digital transformation and technological innovation intersect with national development strategies, governance models, and economic growth. It situates technology as both a driver of progress and a subject of critical reflection within development economics and ICT4D (Information and Communication Technologies for Development). Drawing on key policy frameworks including OECD’s digital transformation guidelines, United Nations (UN) development agendas, and the Network Readiness Index the authors analyze themes such as technological advancements, human capital, governance, and innovation ecosystems. The review finds that the book makes a valuable contribution to debates on digital transformation and development by identifying thematic pillars, capturing stakeholder insights, elaborating on twin foundations of tech enabled growth, and proposing concrete solutions to governance and inclusion challenges. This is shown by its adoption as post graduate course material for Industrial & Organizational programs at University Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Malaysia and Esa Unggul University, Indonesia, where the author is associated with and currently using the book for post graduate studies courses listed in the curriculum. The curricular integration underscores the book’s broader pedagogical relevance in Southeast Asia. In doing so, it bridges theoretical discourse with practical policy considerations, providing scholars, policymakers, and practitioners a timely resource aligned with global development frameworks. |
| Keywords: | Technology and National Development, Digital Transformation, Governance, ICT4D, Development Economics, Innovation, Network Readiness Index, Industrial & Organizational Psychology, Pedagogy |
| JEL: | O10 O19 O2 O21 O3 O32 |
| Date: | 2025–12–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:127189 |
| By: | Lu, Huafeng; Zhang, Lei (University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf); Gullino, Silvia; Triviño, Miguel Hincapié |
| Abstract: | Digitalisation has transformed public transport services worldwide, yet disparities in access, skills, and outcomes continue to reinforce a digital divide in how citizens engage with these services. While previous studies have examined the digital divide in internet use and smart technologies, few have explored how these inequalities manifest in everyday interactions with digital public transport platforms. To this end, we investigated user experiences of public transport applications in Birmingham, whose digital inclusion is disproportionate to its status as a major urban and economic hub in the UK, by analysing 4, 275 user reviews on public transport services collected from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store between 2016 and 2025. Using a mixed natural language processing (NLP) approach combining topic modelling and sentiment analysis, we identified key themes and emotional tones in user feedback. Results revealed three dominant topics: App Performance, Usability, and Service Satisfaction, each corresponding to the access, ability, and motivation dimensions of the digital divide. Sentiment analysis showed generally negative evaluations, particularly around technical access barriers and satisfaction issues. By integrating user-generated data with digital divide theory, these results provide novel empirical evidence of how inequalities in digital engagement persist within digital twin planning and smart city transport systems, and highlight the importance of inclusive digital design for equitable and sustainable mobility access. |
| Date: | 2025–12–15 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:hmvgt_v1 |
| By: | Welch, Katie; Van Leuven, Andrew; Lambert, Dayton M. |
| Abstract: | Bank or branch closure resulting in loss of access to lending institutions has been linked to limited economic growth and long-term vitality of a region (Nguyen, 2019; Conroy et al., 2017). Since the 1980’s, changes in banking, such as higher efficiency in branches, greater numbers of ATMs, and the emergence of alternative banking forms, coincided with declines in the total number of physical banks; by 1997, the total number of banking institutions had declined by 33% in the US and 40% in the Southern Great Plains (SGP) (Spong and Harvey, 1998). Following the advent of smart technology in the late 2000s, alternative banking options have become even more readily available with over half of all commercial banks in the United States offering online banking services by the end of 2003. In 2022, surveys found that 72% of banking Americans preferred to access their accounts through mobile or online portals (ABA, 2022). The availability and adoption of mobile technology begs the question, are brick-and-mortar bank entries and exits affected by technologies that increase mobile banking access? This study estimates the relationship between mobile banking access and bank entry and exit in the SGP, defined as the states of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. These findings will lend insight to the question of whether there are areas without banking access or if the availability of mobile banking impacts physical bank presence. |
| Keywords: | Community/Rural/Urban Development |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:361114 |
| By: | Boyce, Mckenzie |
| Abstract: | Despite growing emphasis on enhancing quality of life to attract residents as an economic development strategy, there is limited empirical evidence into which specific community characteristics households prioritize over others when making relocation decisions. This study investigates how a broad range of community attributes—identified through the Community Capitals Framework—influence household relocation decisions. Drawing on residential sorting models, this paper conceptualizes relocation as a utility-maximizing decision in which households weigh the expected utility of staying in their current location against that of moving to a new location. Households are assumed to relocate when the expected utility of the new location exceeds the utility of staying. Taking this conceptual framework to data, I model county-to-county migration flows based on differences in wages, housing costs, and local amenities of the destination and origin counties. Preliminary results suggest household migration increases to destination counties with higher broadband adoption, greater ethnic diversity, a higher natural amenity score, and greater voter turnout than the origin county. Migration decreases to destination counties with higher dollars lent locally, a greater labor force participation rate, and more social associations per capita than the origin county. Understanding which community attributes most influence relocation decisions is critical for policymakers and community leaders to effectively target investments that will attract new residents and foster community prosperity. |
| Keywords: | Community/Rural/Urban Development |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:aaea25:361119 |