Abstract

Based on results from questionnaires completed by a sample of male and female students between the ages of 17 and 19 from 3 rural Ontario high schools (N = 47), this analysis examines the effects of media and communication access and use for adolescents in rural and small town areas on their decisions of whether to live in rural or urban areas in the future. Data from this sample suggests that media and communication tools play a role in decisions about future living in two ways: (1) through the creation and/or reinforcement of stereotypes of rural and urban living and (2) through the facilitation of rural and non-rural communication and interaction. Each of these factors can act as both mechanisms which pull youth back to rural areas and push youth towards urban areas in the future. Negative stereotypes of rural communities as being dull and uneducated coupled with positive stereotypes of cities as being exciting and opportunity-filled, can encourage youth to move to urban centres in search of the urbanized youth culture depicted in the media. Positive stereotypes of rural communities as being safe, friendly, and spacious coupled with negative stereotypes of cities as being dangerous and dirty can encourage young people to return to small towns in the future. Similarly, communication tools can be used to encourage local networks which correlates with wanting to return to rural towns or they can be used to facilitate urban support systems which correlates with decisions to live in urban regions.