Rural youth have it right when it comes to small towns

We’ve always been puzzled to hear someone opine that “there’s nothing to do” in our small town.

That’s especially true when it’s an outsider — have they ever lived in a small town? If so, have they ever pulled themselves away from the television — let’s update that to the ubiquitous video screen?

Small-town Nebraska youth get it, at least the ones who participated in the Nebraska Community Foundation’s 2021 Nebraska Youth Survey — kids in Albion, Bassett, Bruning, Burwell, Byron, Cedar Rapids, Chester, Davenport, Deshler, Grant, Hebron, O’Neill, Sidney, Edward, Stuart, Taylor and surrounding areas.

Those kids said they were plenty busy, with sports, jobs, volunteering and club activities as well as attending school.

Some 87% have jobs, 84% are involved in sports or choir and 71% say they work with others to do something positive for their community at least once a year.

On the downside, the number who feel they play a role in their community has declined from 49% in 2020 to 25% this year. We can’t help but feel pandemic restrictions imposed on all segments of the population, youth included, had something to do with that.

Most kids are happy with the size of the towns where they live — 64% said their ideal community is small like their hometown, up from 47% in 2020. And, 76% said there was no “stigma” connected to staying in our returning to their communities, up from 70% a year ago.

In small towns, you learn to get along with your neighbors, and survey respondents felt that is important. More than 90% said they feel safe in their hometowns, and they want everyone to feel that way. Almost 80% said they were likely to act to stop the unfair treatment of others, 61% said they were likely to advocate for diversity and inclusion. “Make sure everyone is treated like a human should be treated,” is how one respondent put it.

While there are negatives like those distracting screens and pandemic restrictions mentioned above, those same factors can have a positive effect when it comes to creating small-town opportunities for youths.

Young people are comfortable using the internet for every aspect of their lives, from sharing hairstyles to banking to creating their own income opportunities. Current efforts to provide broadband service to every corner of the state can only help make that more positive and attractive.

And, since many were forced by the pandemic to work remotely, both employers and employees are more open to workers living anywhere they desire, including rural Nebraska, where the cost of living can be lower.

“Our youth seek a place to call their own, and the conditions are ripe for them to stake their claim in Greater Nebraska,” said NCF President and CEO Jeff Yost. “Nebraskans have long known our local quality-of-life offerings can rival those of just about any other state. Last year proved thousands of jobs can now be done from anywhere in the world, why not right here in Nebraska?”