Doing homework in run-down, pay-by-the-week motels, studying for a test while doubled up in cramped apartments with relatives, or reading novels until it’s light’s out at a shelter — that’s the reality for the nation’s nearly 1.3 million homeless public school students. And although homelessness among school-age kids is still primarily an urban problem, data from the National Center for Educational Statistics shows that big cities don’t have a monopoly on the issue, and some students living in rural communities might be worse off.
[quote position="left" is_quote="true"]Homeless students can be 87% more likely to drop out out of school.[/quote]
In a blog post last week, the NCES provided details and two visual snapshots of where most homeless students live. The NCES, a division of the U.S. Department of Education, wrote that during 2014-15, the most recent year for which data is available, 3.7 % of public school students in U.S. cities were identified as homeless. For students living in smaller towns and rural areas, 2.6% and 2.4%, respectively, were identified as homeless. Suburban kids are also affected, with 2% of them identified as homeless. The department defines homeless students as “children/youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.”
The data reveals that, whether they live in a big city or in a farming community, homeless students are all more likely to live in a space doubled up with other families. However, the data is also a reminder why many education experts are ringing the alarm about the plight of students in rural America. A recent post by the American Enterprise Institute notes, “More than four out of five of the U.S. counties designated as ‘persistently poor’ today are rural.”
That provides one possible explanation for why rural students are more likely to be classified as “unsheltered” than their peers in small towns, suburbs, or big cities. Unsheltered means they’re “living in cars, parks, campgrounds, temporary trailers — including Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) trailers — or abandoned buildings,” according to the NCES. Their families may simply not have the money for alternatives, and in rural areas, shelters, supportive nonprofits, and relatives with a sofa to crash on aren’t as common.
The NCES also found that “the percentage of homeless students who were unaccompanied youth — meaning that they were not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian — was highest in rural districts (9.3 percent) and lowest in suburban districts (6.9 percent).”
Students who are runaways or who no longer live with their parents because of conflicts, like being thrown out of their home because they came out as LGBTQ, would be considered unaccompanied. The AEI points out, “Rural kids are more likely to abuse alcohol and meth, and they have a higher teen-birth rate than their urban peers,” which might also contribute to them being considered unaccompanied.
Research shows that a student who experiences homelessness can be 87% more likely to drop out of school, which makes figuring out how to meet these kids’ needs a real priority for education experts. For students living in rural areas overall, AEI recommends expanding the number of charter schools and lauds programs that train teachers and administrators specifically on how to work with children and youth in these communities. The think tank also suggests that philanthropists “move away from the big-city fixation that has dominated charitable efforts in education for more than a generation.”
Given that student homelessness in urban areas hasn’t been eradicated yet, we probably don’t need to “move away” from thinking about what’s happening in cities. But it’s a point well taken that the plight of children and youth in rural areas shouldn’t be ignored.
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Why do some folks use social media but don't engage?
Psychologist says people who never comment on social media share these 5 positive traits
For over 20 years, social media has developed into a staple in many people’s day-to-day lives. Whether it’s to keep in communication with friends and family, following the thoughts of celebrities, or watching cat videos while sipping your morning coffee, there seem to be two types of social media users: commenters and lurkers.
The term “lurker” sounds equally mysterious and insidious, with some social media users writing them off as non-participants at best or voyeurs at worst. However, mindfulness expert Lachlan Brown believes these non-commenters have some very psychologically positive and healthy traits. Let’s take a look at how each one of these traits could be beneficial and see how fruitful lurking might be even though it can drive content creators crazy.
1. Cautious about vulnerability
Consciously or not, making a post online or commenting on one puts you and your words out there. It’s a statement that everyone can see, even if it’s as simple as clicking “like.” Doing so opens yourself up to judgment, with all the good, bad, and potential misinterpretation that comes with it. Non-commenters would rather not open themselves up to that.
These silent users are connected to a concept of self-protection by simply not engaging. By just scrolling past posts or just reading/watching them without commentary, they’re preventing themselves from any downsides of sharing an opinion such as rejection, misunderstanding, or embarrassment. They also have more control on how much of themselves they’re willing to reveal to the general public, and tend to be more open face-to-face or during one-on-one/one-on-few private chats or DMs. This can be seen as a healthy boundary and prevents unnecessary exposure.
Considering many comment sections, especially involving political topics, are meant to stir negative emotional responses to increase engagement, being extra mindful about where, when, and what you comment might not be a bad idea. They might not even take the engagement bait at all. Or if they see a friend of theirs post something vulnerable, they feel more motivated to engage with them personally one-on-one rather than use social media to publicly check in on them.
2. Analytical and reflective mindset
How many times have you gone onto Reddit, YouTube, or any other site and just skimmed past comments that are just different versions of “yes, and,” “no, but,” or “yes, but”? Or the ever insightful, formerly popular comment “First!” in a thread? These silent browsers lean against adding to such noise unless they have some valid and thoughtful contribution (if they bother to comment period).
These non-posters are likely wired on reflective thinking rather than their initial intuition. Not to say that all those who comment aren’t thoughtful, but many tend to react quickly and comment based on their initial feelings rather than absorbing the information, thinking it over, researching or testing their belief, and then posting it. For "lurkers," it could by their very nature to just do all of that and not post it at all, or share their thoughts and findings privately with a friend. All in all, it’s a preference of substance over speed.
3. High sense of self-awareness
Carried over from the first two listed traits, these silent social media users incorporate their concern over their vulnerability and their reflective mindset into digital self-awareness. They know what triggers responses out of them and what causes them to engage in impulsive behavior. It could be that they have engaged with a troll in the past and felt foolish. Or that they just felt sad after a post or got into an unnecessary argument that impacted them offline. By knowing themselves and seeing what’s being discussed, they choose to weigh their words carefully or just not participate at all. It’s a form of self-preservation through restraint.
4. Prefer to observe rather than perform
Some folks treat social media as information, entertainment, or a mix of both, and commenting can feel like they’re yelling at the TV, clapping alone in a movie theater when the credits roll, or yelling “That’s not true!” to a news anchor that will never hear them. But contrary to that, social media is a place where those yells, claps, and accusations can be seen and get a response. By its design, social media is considered by experts and the media as performative, regardless of whether it is positive or negative. Taking all of the previously mentioned traits into account, one can see why they would prefer to “observe the play” rather than get up on the stage of Facebook or X.
On top of that, these non-commenters could be using social media differently than those who choose to fully engage with it. Using this type of navigation, there may be nothing for them to comment about. Some commenters are even vying for this for their mental health. There are articles about how to better curate your social media feeds and manipulate algorithms to create a better social media experience to avoid unnecessary conflict or mentally tiring debate.
If you go on a blocking spree on all of your accounts and just follow the posters that boost you, it could turn your social media into a nice part of your routine as you mainly engage with others face-to-face or privately. In terms of commenting, if your curated Instagram is just following cute dogs and all you have to offer for a comment is “cute dog,” you might just enjoy the picture and then move on with your day rather than join in the noise. These non-commenters aren’t in the show and they’re fine with it.
5. Less motivated by social validation
The last trait that Brown showcases is that social media users who browse without posting tend to be independent from external validation, at least online. Social media is built to grow through feedback loops such as awarding likes, shares, and reposts of your content along with notifications letting you know that a new person follows you or wants to connect. This can lead many people to connect their activity on social media with their sense of self worth, especially with adolescents who are still figuring out their place in the world and have still-developing brains.
Engaging in social media via likes, shares, comments, and posts rewards our brains by having them release dopamine, which makes us feel good and can easily become addictive. For whatever reason, non-commenters don’t rely on social media as a means to gauge their social capital or self worth. This doesn’t make them better than those who do. While some non-commenters could have healthier ways to boost their self worth or release dopamine into their systems, many get that validation from equally unhealthy sources offline. That said, many non-commenters’ silence could be a display of independence and self confidence.
Whether you frequently comment online or don’t, it’s good to understand why you do or don’t. Analyzing your habits can help you determine whether your online engagement is healthy, or needs to be tweaked. With that information, you can then create a healthy social media experience that works for you.