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I go to Hinsdale South High School. I am a freshman.

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Population in 2019: 21,628
(100% urban, 0% rural).
Males: (48.8%)    Females:  (51.2%)
Median resident age: 47.0 years

Read more: https://www.city-data.com/city/Darien-Illinois.html

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Current weather forecast for Darien, IL

Population in 2019: 21,628 (100% urban, 0% rural).
Population change since 2000: -5.4%

Males: 10,553

(48.8%)

Females: 11,075

(51.2%)

Zip codes: 60516, 60561.
Darien Zip Code Map

Estimated median household income in 2019: $100,003 (it was $74,836 in 2000)

Estimated per capita income in 2019: $52,315 (it was $34,795 in 2000)

Darien city income, earnings, and wages data

Estimated median house or condo value in 2019: $338,665 (it was $208,600 in 2000)
Mean prices in 2019: all housing units: $357,377; detached houses: $386,929; townhouses or other attached units: $313,311; in 2-unit structures: $263,532; in 3-to-4-unit structures: $183,155; in 5-or-more-unit structures: $178,700

Median gross rent in 2019: $1,231.

March 2019 cost of living index in Darien: 102.6 (near average, U.S. average is 100)

Darien, IL residents, houses, and apartments details

Percentage of residents living in poverty in 2019: 5.1%
(4.7%for White Non-Hispanic residents, 19.4% for Black residents, 4.0% for Hispanic or Latino residents, 100.0% for American Indian residents, 2.6% for other race residents, 2.2% for two or more races residents)

Detailed information about poverty and poor residents in Darien, IL

Profiles of local businesses

- Business Search 14 Million verified businesses

According to our research of Illinois and other state lists, there were 8 registered sex offenders living in Darien, Illinois as of May 23, 2022.
The ratio of all residents to sex offenders in Darien is 2,776 to 1.
The ratio of registered sex offenders to all residents in this city is much lower than the state average.

The City-Data.com crime index weighs serious crimes and violent crimes more heavily. Higher means more crime, U.S. average is 270.6. It adjusts for the number of visitors and daily workers commuting into cities.

Crime rate in Darien detailed stats: murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, arson

Full-time law enforcement employees in 2019, including police officers: 37 (32 officers).

Recent articles from our blog. Our writers, many of them Ph.D. graduates or candidates, create easy-to-read articles on a wide variety of topics.

Latest news from Darien, IL collected exclusively by city-data.com from local newspapers, TV, and radio stations

Ancestries: Polish (11.8%), Italian (6.5%), Irish (6.0%), German (5.9%), American (5.5%), Lithuanian (3.5%).

Current Local Time: CST time zone

Land area: 6.04 square miles.

Population density: 3,579 people per square mile (average).

3,999 residents are foreign born (9.2% Asia, 5.8% Europe).

Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units with mortgages in 2019: $6,529 (1.9%)
Median real estate property taxes paid for housing units with no mortgage in 2019: $5,924 (1.8%)

Nearest city with pop. 50,000+: Bolingbrook, IL (6.4 miles , pop. 56,321).

Nearest city with pop. 200,000+: Chicago, IL (16.9 miles , pop. 2,896,016).

Nearest cities:

Latitude: 41.75 N, Longitude: 87.98 W

Daytime population change due to commuting: -2,219 (-10.2%)
Workers who live and work in this city: 1,608 (14.2%)

Darien, Illinois accommodation & food services, waste management - Economy and Business Data

Unemployment in November 2020:

Population change in the 1990s: +2,156 (+10.4%).

Average climate in Darien, Illinois
Based on data reported by over 4,000 weather stations

Tornado activity:

Darien-area historical tornado activity is near Illinois state average. It is 53% greater than the overall U.S. average.

On 8/28/1990, a category F5 ( max. wind speeds 261-318 mph) tornado 16.8 miles away from the Darien city center killed 29 people and injured 350 people and caused between $50,000 and $500,000 in damages.

On 6/13/1976, a category F4 ( max. wind speeds 207-260 mph) tornado 3.3 miles away from the city center killed 2 people and injured 23 people and caused between $500,000 and $5,000,000 in damages.

Earthquake activity:
Darien-area historical earthquake activity is significantly above Illinois state average. It is 47% greater than the overall U.S. average.

On 4/18/2008 at 09:36:59, a magnitude 5.4 (5.1 MB, 4.8 MS, 5.4 MW, 5.2 MW, Class: Moderate, Intensity: VI - VII) earthquake occurred 227.9 miles away from the city center
On 6/10/1987 at 23:48:54, a magnitude 5.1 (4.9 MB, 4.4 MS, 4.6 MS, 5.1 LG) earthquake occurred 202.4 miles away from Darien center
On 4/18/2008 at 09:36:59, a magnitude 5.2 (5.2 MW, Depth: 8.9 mi) earthquake occurred 227.9 miles away from Darien center
On 6/28/2004 at 06:10:52, a magnitude 4.2 (4.2 MW, Depth: 6.2 mi, Class: Light, Intensity: IV - V) earthquake occurred 51.5 miles away from the city center
On 6/18/2002 at 17:37:15, a magnitude 5.0 (4.3 MB, 4.6 MW, 5.0 LG) earthquake occurred 260.2 miles away from the city center
On 4/18/2008 at 15:14:16, a magnitude 4.8 (4.5 MB, 4.8 MW, 4.6 MW) earthquake occurred 226.3 miles away from Darien center
Magnitude types: regional Lg-wave magnitude (LG), body-wave magnitude (MB), surface-wave magnitude (MS), moment magnitude (MW)

Natural disasters:
The number of natural disasters in DuPage County (15) is near the US average (15).
Major Disasters (Presidential) Declared: 10
Emergencies Declared: 4

Causes of natural disasters: Floods: 8, Storms: 8, Snowstorms: 2, Tornadoes: 2, Winter Storms: 2, Blizzard: 1, Hurricane: 1, Snow: 1, Wind: 1, Other: 1 (Note: some incidents may be assigned to more than one category).

Main business address for: QUOTESMITH COM INC ( ACCIDENT & HEALTH INSURANCE).

Hospitals and medical centers in Darien:

ADVANCED HOMECARE, INC (8320 SOUTH LEMONT ROAD)

DARIEN HOME HEALTHCARE, INC. (2879 83RD ST)

Other hospitals and medical centers near Darien:

Amtrak stations near Darien:

8 miles: LA GRANGE ROAD (LA GRANGE, 25 W. BURLINGTON AVE.) . Services: enclosed waiting area, public payphones, taxi stand, public transit connection.

9 miles: NAPERVILLE (E. 4TH & ELLSWORTH AVE.) . Services: ticket office, partially wheelchair accessible, enclosed waiting area, public restrooms, public payphones, free short-term parking, free long-term parking, call for taxi service, public transit connection.

10 miles: SUMMIT (ARCHER & CENTER AVE.) . Services: public payphones, free short-term parking, free long-term parking, call for taxi service, public transit connection.

College/University in Darien:

Regency Beauty Institute-Darien (Full-time enrollment: 55; Location: 7411 South Cass Avenue; Private, for-profit; Website: www.regency.edu)

Colleges/universities with over 2000 students nearest to Darien:

Public high school in Darien:

Public elementary/middle schools in Darien:

Private elementary/middle school in Darien:

KINGSWOOD ACADEMY (Students: 166, Location: 133 PLAINFIELD RD, Grades: PK-8)

See full list of schools located in Darien

Library in Darien:

INDIAN PRAIRIE PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT (Operating income: $3,012,022; Location: 401 PLAINFIELD ROAD; 157,108 books; 14,842 audio materials; 18,472 video materials; 20 local licensed databases; 16 state licensed databases; 2 other licensed databases; 451 print serial subscriptions; 9 electronic serial subscriptions)

User-submitted facts and corrections:

The zip code for Darien, Il is 60559

Points of interest:

Click to draw/clear city borders

Notable locations in Darien: Carriage Greens Golf Club (A), Darien - Woodridge Fire Protection District Station 3 (B), Tri - State Fire Protection District Station 2 Headquarters (C), Darien - Woodridge Fire Protection District Station 1 (D). Display/hide their locations on the map

Shopping Center: Chestnut Court Shopping Center (1). Display/hide its location on the map

Main business address in Darien: QUOTESMITH COM INC (A). Display/hide its location on the map

Churches in Darien include: Marion Hills Bible Church (A), Our Lady of Peace Church (B), Saint John Evangelical Lutheran Church (C), Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church (D), Cross of Christ Lutheran Church (E), Mount Carmel Church (F). Display/hide their locations on the map

Cemetery: Saint Johns Lutheran Cemetery (1). Display/hide its location on the map

Lake: Bruce Lake (A). Display/hide its location on the map

Parks in Darien include: South Grove Park (1), Oldfield Oaks County Forest Preserve (2), Birchwood Park (3), Holly Park (4), Pinewood Park (5), Darien Community Park (6), Darien Sportsplex (7), Darien Chestnut Forest Preserve (8). Display/hide their locations on the map

Tourist attraction: Egyptian Tours & Travel (8117 South Lemont Road Suite 1).

Hotels: Extended Stayamerica (2345 Sokol), Cooney & CO (1551 Pinehurst Drive).

Court: Illinois Probation & Court Services Association (7544 Wilton Road).

DuPage County has a predicted average indoor radon screening level between 2 and 4 pCi/L (pico curies per liter) - Moderate Potential

Drinking water stations with addresses in Darien and their reported violations in the past:
GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH (148411) ( Address: 1501 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD , Population served: 75, Groundwater):
Past monitoring violations:
196 regular monitoring violations

Drinking water stations with addresses in Darien that have no violations reported:

DARIEN (Address: 1702 PLAINFIELD RD , Population served: 23,615, Primary Water Source Type: Purch surface water)

Likely homosexual households (counted as self-reported same-sex unmarried-partner households)

Lesbian couples: 0.3% of all households

Gay men: 0.2% of all households

8 people in other noninstitutional facilities in 2010
89people in nursing homes in 2000
15people in religious group quarters in 2000

Banks with most branches in Darien (2011 data):

West Suburban Bank: Cass Avenue Facility at 8001 Cass Avenue, branch established on 1973/06/18; 75th Street Facility at 1005 75th Street, branch established on 1980/03/19. Info updated 2011/02/23: Bank assets: $1,927.7 mil, Deposits: $1,744.7 mil, headquarters in Lombard, IL, positive income, Commercial Lending Specialization, 44 total offices, Holding Company: West Suburban Bancorp, Inc.

Citizens Financial Bank: Darien Branch at 8301 South Cass Avenue, branch established on 2004/09/30. Info updated 2011/07/21: Bank assets: $1,149.8 mil, Deposits: $986.7 mil, headquarters in Munster, IN, negative income in the last year, Commercial Lending Specialization, 22 total offices

For population 15 years and over in Darien:

Never married: 26.4%

Now married: 56.3%

Separated: 0.5%

Widowed: 6.8%

Divorced: 10.0%

For population 25 years and over in Darien:

High school or higher: 96.3%

Bachelor's degree or higher: 50.9%

Graduate or professional degree: 18.9%

Unemployed: 2.4%

Mean travel time to work (commute): 30.4 minutes

Graphs represent county-level data. Detailed 2008 Election Results

Political contributions by individuals in Darien, IL

Religion statistics for Darien, IL (based on DuPage County data)

Religion

Adherents

Congregations

Source: Clifford Grammich, Kirk Hadaway, Richard Houseal, Dale E.Jones, Alexei Krindatch, Richie Stanley and Richard H.Taylor. 2012. 2010 U.S.Religion Census: Religious Congregations & Membership Study. Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies. Jones, Dale E., et al. 2002. Congregations and Membership in the United States 2000. Nashville, TN: Glenmary Research Center. Graphs represent county-level data

Food Environment Statistics:

Health and Nutrition:

More about Health and Nutrition of Darien, IL Residents

Local government employment and payroll (March 2017)

Function

Full-time employees

Monthly full-time payroll

Average yearly full-time wage

Part-time employees

Monthly part-time payroll

Darien government finances - Expenditure in 2017 (per resident):

Construction - Regular Highways: $43,000 ($1.99)

Current Operations - Police Protection: $7,132,000 ($329.76)
Water Utilities: $6,533,000 ($302.06)

Regular Highways: $2,810,000 ($129.92)

Financial Administration: $1,605,000 ($74.21)

General - Interest on Debt: $1,026,000 ($47.44)

Other Capital Outlay - Parks and Recreation: $393,000 ($18.17)

Total Salaries and Wages: $6,414,000 ($296.56)

Darien government finances - Revenue in 2017 (per resident):

Charges - Other: $559,000 ($25.85)

Federal Intergovernmental - Other: $179,000 ($8.28)

Miscellaneous - General Revenue - Other: $151,000 ($6.98)
Interest Earnings: $41,000 ($1.90)

Revenue - Water Utilities: $7,932,000 ($366.75)

State Intergovernmental - General Local Government Support: $8,077,000 ($373.45)
Highways: $768,000 ($35.51)

Other: $9,000 ($0.42)

Tax - Property: $2,381,000 ($110.09)
Public Utilities Sales: $1,987,000 ($91.87)

Other License: $1,276,000 ($59.00)

Other Selective Sales: $950,000 ($43.92)

Darien government finances - Debt in 2017 (per resident):

Long Term Debt - Outstanding Unspecified Public Purpose: $26,017,000 ($1202.93)
Beginning Outstanding - Unspecified Public Purpose: $25,667,000 ($1186.75)

Issue, Unspecified Public Purpose: $1,171,000 ($54.14)

Retired Unspecified Public Purpose: $820,000 ($37.91)

Darien government finances - Cash and Securities in 2017 (per resident):

Other Funds - Cash and Securities: $9,342,000 ($431.94)

6.52% of this county's 2016 resident taxpayers lived in other counties in 2015 ($78,245 average adjusted gross income)

0.04% of residents moved from foreign countries ($645 average AGI)

Top counties from which taxpayers relocated into this county between 2015 and 2016:

7.43% of this county's 2015 resident taxpayers moved to other counties in 2016 ($87,548 average adjusted gross income)

0.06% of residents moved to foreign countries ($760 average AGI)

Top counties to which taxpayers relocated from this county between 2015 and 2016:

Businesses in Darien, IL

Name

Count

Name

Count

Browse common businesses in Darien, IL

See more detailed statistics of Darien fatal car crashes and road traffic accidents for 1975 - 2019 here

Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Aggregated Statistics For Year 2009
(Based on 6 partial tracts)

A) FHA, FSA/RHS & VA
Home Purchase Loans

B) Conventional
Home Purchase Loans

C) Refinancings

D) Home Improvement Loans

E) Loans on Dwellings For 5+ Families

F) Non-occupant Loans on
< 5 Family Dwellings (A B C & D)

G) Loans On Manufactured
Home Dwelling (A B C & D)

Number

Average Value

Number

Average Value

Number

Average Value

Number

Average Value

Number

Average Value

Number

Average Value

Number

Average Value

Detailed HMDA statistics for the following Tracts: 8455.03 ,8455.04, 8458.01, 8458.02, 8458.04, 8458.05

Private Mortgage Insurance Companies Aggregated Statistics For Year 2009
(Based on 6 partial tracts)

A) Conventional
Home Purchase Loans

B) Refinancings

C) Non-occupant Loans on
< 5 Family Dwellings (A & B)

Number

Average Value

Number

Average Value

Number

Average Value

Detailed PMIC statistics for the following Tracts: 8455.03 ,8455.04, 8458.01, 8458.02, 8458.04, 8458.05

2003 - 2018 National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) incidents
See full National Fire Incident Reporting System statistics for Darien, IL

Most common first names in Darien, IL among deceased individuals

Name

Count

Lived (average)

Most common last names in Darien, IL among deceased individuals

Last name

Count

Lived (average)

Darien compared to Illinois state average:

Median house value above state average.

Unemployed percentage significantly below state average.

Black race population percentage significantly below state average.

Hispanic race population percentage significantly below state average.

Median age above state average.

Renting percentage below state average.

House age below state average.

Percentage of population with a bachelor's degree or higher above state average.

#73 on the list of "Top 101 cities with largest percentage of females in occupations: health diagnosing and treating practitioners and other technical occupations (population 5,000+)"

#77 (60561) on the list of "Top 101 zip codes with the largest percentage of Czech first ancestries (pop 5,000+)"

#84 (60561) on the list of "Top 101 zip codes with the largest percentage of Lithuanian first ancestries"

#14 on the list of "Top 101 counties with the largest number of people without health insurance coverage in 2000 (pop. 50,000+)"

#19 on the list of "Top 101 counties with the highest percentage of residents that visited a dentist within the past year"

#23 on the list of "Top 101 counties with the most Catholic adherents"

#25 on the list of "Top 101 counties with the best general health status score of residents (1-5), 3 years of data"

#26 on the list of "Top 101 counties with the largest number of children under 18 without health insurance coverage in 2000 (pop. 50,000+)"

There are 37 pilots and 34 other airmen in this city.

John Nyhoff (49)

William D. Severa (21)

Francis S. Lau (14)

Shengkui Hu (7)

William A. Bernard (5)

Hirohide Toyama (5)

Ayham Al-Banna (5)

Darsh T. Wasan (5)

Mohan K. Panicker (5)

Vijaya Kumar (4)

Total of 306 patent applications in 2008-2022.

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Submit your own pictures of this city and show them to the world OSM Map General Map Google Map MSN Map Current weather forecast for Darien, IL Population in 2019: 21,628 (100% urban, 0% rural). Population change since 2000: -5.4% Males: 10,553 (48.8%) Females: 11,075 (51.2%) Zip codes: 60516, 60561.

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Community news: Tiny Miracles Foundation in Darien hosts gala, car donated

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Community news: Tiny Miracles Foundation in Darien hosts gala, car donated

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After nearly a three-year hiatus, The Tiny Miracles Foundation hosted its annual gala in person May 6, raising nearly $300,000 for the organization's programs and honoring community leaders who advocate for the families of premature babies in Fairfield and New Haven counties.

Nearly 200 guests assembled at The Loading Dock in Stamford to enjoy signature cocktails by drink sponsor The Vale Fox distillery and hors d'oeuvres and an elegant sit-down dinner by Abigail Kirsch catering.

The roaring '20s event theme "Miracles... and All That Jazz" inspired a champagne tower and a speakeasy entertainment room. One lucky guest won a pair of earrings designed by Donna Vock of jewelry sponsor Vock and Vintage.

The event is the largest annual fundraiser for Tiny Miracles, a Darien-based nonprofit whose mission is to provide compassionate care to the families of premature babies in the region. The organization helps families whose babies will often spend weeks or months in neonatal intensive care with programs that include one-on-one mentoring, educational resources and financial aid.

Highlight of the evening was the presentation of the "Miracle Maker" Awards, which honors individuals who share the organization's dedication to support families of premature babies in Southwestern Connecticut.

The 2022 event honored Réal and Tara Leclerc, parents of twins born at 28 weeks, and Dr. Meltem Seli, attending neonatologist, Connecticut Children's Specialty Group, Nuvance Health at Norwalk and Danbury Hospitals.

The special event was supported by presenting sponsors: Mr. and Mrs. Michael F. Klein and the Bauer Family Foundation and individual and local corporate sponsors including The Godina Family; Réal and Tara Leclerc; Ginger, Christopher and Lilly Wilson; Twenty Four Wealth; Stamford Health; Yale New Haven Health System; Ivy Rehab/Ivy Rehab for Kids; Gwen and Tom Noto; Eileen and James Thomas; David and Kim Januszewski; Mr. and Mrs. Scott Srolis; Eila and Jeff Johnson; Cheryl and Tim Egan; Cross Private Client Insurance/Pure Insurance; Bank of America; Nuvance Health and The Harbor Lights Foundation.

Other sponsors include The Blake Family; Jason and Brooke Gies; Laura and Blake Franchi; Mr. and Mrs. William Cunningham; Mr. and Mrs. Michael Ruehlman; Tara and Stacy Eastland; Nedder & Associates LLC; Ashley and David Dineen; Heath and Alyssa Kent; Bankwell; Mr. & Mrs. Peter Streinger; Dr. Richard Freedman; Maternal Fetal Care PC and the Darien Sport Shop.

For more information about The Tiny Miracles Foundation visit http://www.ttmf.org, or call 203-202-9714.

The Tiny Miracles Foundation, a 501C3, was founded in 2004 by two local mothers of severely premature twins after they experienced the trauma and devastating impact of pre-term birth.

Today, Tiny Miracles provides comprehensive support and assistance to the families of pre term infants in six partner hospitals throughout Fairfield and New Haven Counties. Through its programs, The Tiny Miracles Foundation strives to improve the lives, care and outcomes of children born too early, and those who love and care for them.

Car donated to Stamford family from local groups

A Stamford mother with a disabled child was gifted a fully refurbished used car courtesy of several local groups including Tiny Miracles, the Umbrella Club and New Canaan Foreign Cars.

Matt deGarmo of Matthew L. deGarmo Ltd. in Norwalk created Operation Wheels through the nonprofit Umbrella Club to donate cars to parents of disabled children in financial straits. He reached out to Leelee Klein, emeritus president of Darien-based Tiny Miracles, to help find qualifying families.

They chose a woman with a child born 12 weeks premature who suffered significant complications at birth and requires a special wheelchair for mobility.

Matt Konspore found the used car and several donors helped purchase it; Mark and Lucia Bagg, owners of New Canaan Foreign Cars, donated the labor and the supplies needed to prepare the car for the family.

The Umbrella Club has donated several years of car insurance costs to the family as part of the gift.

For more information, visit https://degarmoltd.com or http://www.ttmf.org.

Sixth annual Shatterproof event honored Darien resident

The non-profit organization Shatterproof held its sixth annual Showdown on the Sound honoring former Darien resident Michael Taylor last Saturday.

The event was a fund-raiser for the national nonprofit organization which raises money to transform addiction treatment, end stigma and support community efforts at ending drug addiction.

Since its inception, the event has raised more than $815,000 for Shatterproof's programs. Organizers said they hoped money raised at this year's event will bring the total to $1 million or better.

The inaugural Showdown on the Sound was held May 20, 2017, about a year after Taylor died from an opioid overdose. With the exception of 2020 and 2021, when it went virtual, Showdown on the Sound has been a way to invite the public at the beginning of the summer to the events and sports Taylor enjoyed, according to organizers.

Taylor grew up in Darien. He was an all-state tennis player at Darien High School and played Division one varsity tennis for three years. He graduated from Villanova University and started a career in marketing. He loved traveling, adventures, and being out on the water, his family said.

He also suffered from addiction that began with opioid medications prescribed after reconstructive shoulder surgery because of a tennis injury during his junior year at Villanova, according to information from the Shatterproof non-profit organization.

Sponsors include The Yale Program in Addiction Medicine, Stamford Health, Rings End, Baywater Properties, Janney Trust Advisors, CJS Securities, BMW of Darien, Land Rover of Darien, the Liberation house, The Lighthouse and Adventure Recovery.

More information on the organization, visit shatterproof.org. For more information on the event or to donate, visit www.showdownonthesound.org.

United Way CT appoints interim president, CEO

The United Way of Coastal Fairfield County has announced the appointment of Margo Amgott as its interim President and CEO.

Amgott, who replaces Jeffery Kimball, will lead the nonprofit agency during the transition to a permanent replacement the organization announced. Her position was effective May 16.

Amgott brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in nonprofits, higher education and state and local government to the position. She currently provides transitional support and project management through her consulting company, Amgott Interim LLC.

A specialist in transitional leadership, Amgott previously re-opened the Jacob Burns Film Center with fundraising and renewed programming.

She has also served as the interim director for Studio in a School, an arts and social justice organization providing standards-based arts education in New York City schools; as the interim CEO at the Hearing Health Foundation, the largest non-profit funder of hearing and balance research in the U.S. and as the COO of the National Council for Jewish women, where she led strategic planning for policy advocacy and growth and sustainability.

Earlier in her career, she led programs at Columbia University, Hunter College, the New York University NYU Langone Medical Center and for the New York City Department of Health.

She holds a master's degree from the New York University Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and an undergraduate degree from Barnard College.

The Board will launch a search for a permanent replacement shortly.

United Way of Coastal Fairfield County serves Darien, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, New Canaan, Norwalk, Stratford, Trumbull, Weston, Westport and Wilton. The organization's mission to is tackle the most pressing issues in a community with local partners.

For more information, visit https://unitedwaycfc.org/.

Author Kristen Harnisch speaks

The Barrett Bookstore and the Darien Community Association will present author Kristen Harnisch at 7 p.m. May 24 in a live in-person book launch of "The Vintner's Legacy" at the DCA's building at 274 Middlesex Road.

Tickets are $25 for members of the Darien Community Association and $35 for members of the public. Ticket price includes a signed paperback copy of the book and a wine reception at 6:15 p.m.

More information, and registration are available at https://dariendca.org/book-talks-and-signings.

Community association to host annual meeting

The Darien Community Association will hold its annual meeting June 3 with coffee at 9:30 a.m., and the meeting at 10 a.m.

Featured guests will be Taylor Carter, and Liz Geiger, the hosts of the podcast "Now We're Talking Darien," in conversation with CNN commentator and fellow Darien resident S.E. Cupp.

Carter and Geiger launched their podcast series in spring 2021, talking about the town they live in and love.

Broadcasting out of Taylor's home, the pair has hosted more than 40 podcasts, showcasing all aspects of life in Darien and the people who contribute to the town.

The event will be in-person with a virtual participation option.

The event is free for Community Association members. Tickets for the public are $25.

The presentation will be preceded by several minutes of community association business, including a vote on the organization's proposed board of director slate for the 2022-23 year.

More information and registration is available at https://dariendca.org/dca-board-of-directors-proposed-slate-2020-21/.

The registration deadline is noon June 2 through the Community Association's office or by calling 203-655-9050, Ext. 10.

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Community news: Tiny Miracles Foundation in Darien hosts gala, car donated

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After nearly a three-year hiatus, The Tiny Miracles Foundation hosted its annual gala in person May 6, raising nearly $300,000 for the organization's programs and honoring community leaders who advocate for the families of premature babies in Fairfield and New Haven counties.

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HSHS's students are decent

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Illinois' new online school report card goes beyond test scores to present a complete view of your schools. The information here will help you to work with your child's school

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More education.
More access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene.

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Power is someone's ability to make others do something. There are many forms of power like physical or money related.

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- Family
- Parents

- School
- Staff

- Government
- President

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The link between education/skills and power

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The link between education/skills and power

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Education creates knowledge and skills, which build confidence, and break down barriers to opportunity.

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Characteristics needed to change your world

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Characteristics needed to change your world

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Ambition
Confidence
Persistence
Energy
Empathy

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What steps you will take to increase your power as you grow into adulthood

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What steps you will take to increase your power as you grow into adulthood

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I will build my confidence over time and learn more useful information and skills.

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- Family
Your parents teach you the basics of socialization and how to behave.

- Peers
You learn many things from others especially on socialization

- Media
The media is full of misinformation and lies so you may believe something that is untrue.

- Economic and political systems
For example, the economic state of your neighborhood might influence that it is not ok to buy expensive stuff. Also the strictness of the political system that you live in has great impact on your beliefs.

- Religion
Many religions have rules which impact our beliefs of what is right and what is wrong.

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religious and spiritual makeup of Illinois

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religious and spiritual makeup of Illinois

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71% are Christian
2% are Jewish
1% are Muslim
3% are atheist

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Darien is Right in the middle between Liberal and Conservative.

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How my beliefs and values affect my life

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How my beliefs and values affect my life

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My beliefs and values influence my choices in life greatly.

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Why it’s important to engage with people who have different beliefs and values than you

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Why it’s important to engage with people who have different beliefs and values than you

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it’s important to engage with people who have different beliefs and values than you because you learn a lot more. You are exposed to unfamiliar ideas that you eventually learn.

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- Smart phone
- light bulb
- computer
- Air conditioning

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Phones cause you to always be in your comfort zone and have trouble interacting and having conversations with people. Phones also give out blue light which is bad for your eyes and makes you have trouble sleeping.

The light bulb is a great invention because it can light up a whole room. It was such a great idea that it became the symbol for good ideas.

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Last Updated on March 8, 2022

In our modern lives, cell phones and other devices have become irreplaceable. Fifty-three percent of children now own a smartphone by age eleven. Eighty-four percent of teenagers have their own phone. And out of all Americans, 96% own a cellular device.

With such widespread usage, it is hard to imagine that cell phones and other wireless devices could be unsafe. However, while cell phones do have many benefits in our modern era, it is always beneficial to be mindful of the often overlooked negative effects of these devices.

Top 10 Negative Effects of Smartphones

1) EMF Radiation Exposure

Of course we have to mention the negative effects of Electromagnetic Field (EMF) radiation, which every electronic device, including your wireless smartphone, emits almost constantly while it’s turned on.

Cell phones operate between frequencies of 450-2000 MHz, but the most common phones today use 800-900 MHz. With 5G, these frequencies will eventually go up to 300 GHz, covering a much broader frequency range. Additionally, the amount of power a phone uses depends on what it’s doing—during a call, more power is consumed versus when it is locked.

While the small size of a smartphone makes its power level relatively low, with it glued to your body all day it becomes a prevalent source of EMF radiation exposure, regardless of its power level. You receive more EMF radiation exposure from your phone than nearby cell towers.

EMF radiation levels emitted by your cell phone have been linked to a whole list of health issues, including but not limited to:

Chronic headaches and neurological effects

Insomnia

Infertility

Developmental effects

Hormonal imbalances

Gut issues

Cancer

The International Agency for Research on Cancer has identified EMFs as a possible carcinogen.

Many are unaware that the health symptoms they are suffering from might be related to their cell phone and wireless radiation exposure. While it is unrealistic to get rid of your mobile devices and electronics, recognizing that they can have a biological effect on your body and reducing your exposure when you can will help protect you from chronic symptoms.

In addition to reducing your device use when you can, it may be a good idea to have proper protection on your phone to prevent EMFs from reaching your body. You can use an EMF radiation shielding case—this can help protect your head, the most important part of your body, while making phone calls. You can also carry your device in an EMF radiation protection hip pack, pouch, or holster to put a protective layer between your device and your body.

2) Germs

A study from Arizona University found that phones often carry 10 times more bacteria than most toilet seats. Disgusting!

Every time we fall ill, we have germs and bacteria to thank. The average mobile phone has 25,127 bacteria per square inch. Your phone is a breeding ground for germs because of how many different surfaces it comes in contact with: hands, bag/purse, counter tops, car seats. Every time it touches something, the germs are transferred between the surface and phone. Additionally, germs are able to thrive on phones because they stay warm throughout the day, between body heat and battery heat.

One study from the University of Oregon identified over 7,000 different types of bacteria present on phones, but the most common were Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and Corynebacterium. These types of bacteria can make a person sick. Each phone has its own unique biome of bacteria, created by the people and places it encounters.

Think about it—when was the last time you cleaned your phone? We find ourselves frequently washing our hands and cleaning the spaces around us. But handheld devices—including phones, remote controls, tablets, etc.—are often overlooked. When these devices are passed around, the germs spread from one person to the next.

The global pandemic of COVID-19 that started in early 2020 brought to many people’s attention the importance of containing the spread of germs. Phones and other devices are sneaky transporters of germs, so make sure to clean phones and devices frequently. And please, try not to take your phone into the bathroom.

3) Blue Light

Blue light is everywhere in our daily lives: from the sunshine outdoors, to fluorescent lighting and mobile devices and electronic screens.

Natural light is made up of the visible spectrum—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet light combine to make the white light we perceive as sunlight. With all the screens present in our lives, there is an abundance of artificial blue light. Blue light is on the higher end of the visible spectrum with shorter wavelengths, and thus, more energy.

Blue light has many benefits:

It increases alertness

Helps memory and cognitive functions

Elevates mood

Regulates our body’s circadian rhythm

Helps to develop children’s eyes

The problems with blue light exposure arise when you have too much of it, especially when it should not be naturally present. Phones are the worst culprit because we often hold our phones closest to our eyes, increasing the intensity of the blue light.

Blue light penetrates all the way to the retina, increasing the risk for damaging the light-sensitive cells. This can cause macular degeneration, which can lead to permanent vision loss. Digital eye strain can also happen as a result of overexposure.

You may have feelings of discomfort after looking at a screen for more than two hours, leading to:

Dry eyes

Headaches

Blurred vision neck or shoulder pain.

It seems that blue light might also be harming the skin on your face. More evidence is showing that blue light exposure from screens can lead to skin aging, specifically fine lines, wrinkles, and skin discoloration.

Another direct impact from cell phone’s blue light is on the circadian rhythm. Exposure to blue light quells the secretion of melatonin, the natural hormone that is related to sleep, thus throwing off your sleep cycle.

Stephen Lockley, a Harvard sleep researcher, noted that even a low level of blue light at night can disrupt your sleep. In general, light is one of the main reasons that the people do not get enough sleep at night. However, blue light is the most harmful. One study compared blue light exposure to green light exposure, and the results showed that the blue light suppressed melatonin secretion twice as long as the green light did.

Try limiting your screen time, especially at night, to help give your eyes a rest and keep your sleep cycle intact. You may also wear a pair of B lue Light Blocking Glasses to filter out the excessive blue light from screens. Additionally, many devices allow you to alter the display settings to night mode, which automatically shifts the screen colors to a warmer color palette, decreasing the amount of blue light.

4) Brain Development

The brain is one of the most vulnerable organs in the body. It’s also the most important, since it controls all of the functions and processes constantly occurring.

When you use your phone, it alters the brain and its development. While it is difficult to separate which effects come from EMF radiation and which come from the act itself of looking at your phone or electronic device, device use is still directly related to brain changes.

One study conducted at Harvard had 47 volunteers whose brain activity was measured twice by a PET scanner. Each person had a cell phone strapped to each ear. In the first scan, both phones were off. In the second scan, one phone was on. The results showed that when one phone was on, that side of the brain had an increase in the use of glucose (metabolism) near the phone’s antenna. These results show that human brains are sensitive to cell phone radiation exposure from acute cell phone use, and the researchers said these results could be indicative of other neurotransmitter and neurochemical changes due to EMF frequencies.

What’s especially worrisome is the long-term impact on brain development in children. Children are still growing, so their skulls are thinner than an adults’, which makes them more susceptible to harm. A report in JAMA Pediatrics found a connection between increased screen time during childhood and poor progression in key developmental areas such as communication skills, problem solving, and social interactions over time.

The younger generation has grown up with technology, meaning they’ve been exposed to the harmful effects of it their whole lives. Because cell phones are still relatively new, long-term exposure studies do not yet exist. However, as the data surrounding screen time and children continues to grow, there is more and more evidence to suggest increased screen time is related to developmental issues regarding memory, attention, and language skills.

Based on the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, researchers from the National Institutes of Health provided two big takeaways:

MRI scans found significant differences in the brains of some children who reported using smartphones, tablets, and video games more than seven hours a day.

Children who reported more than two hours a day of screen time got lower scores on thinking and language tests.

Increased screen time is related to the premature thinning of the cortex. The cerebral cortex, often referred to gray matter, includes sensory areas and motor areas, so it processes information related to the senses and motor functions.

What’s very concerning is that young people are also losing their ability to remember phone numbers and read maps, because they have become too reliant on their phones to do those tasks for them.

Mind you, there are benefits to having all this technology, especially when it comes to virtual learning, but there must be a balance in the amount of time spent on these devices to help lessen the negative impacts of phones.

5) Social Interactions

Modern technology has done wonders to connect the globe.

From your phone, you can text your friend across the country, WhatsApp a pen pal on a different continent, or retweet someone in a different time zone. It’s amazing how people can connect with others from around the world, but the ability to do so has actually impacted social settings and face-to-face interactions. A study from the University of Essex found that just having a phone present in a social situation diminishes the quality of the interactions. By being hyper-connected to people through phones, actual connections with other humans have declined.

Since 2007 (when the first iPhone came out… coincidence?) teenagers are spending less time hanging out with their friends, are in less of a rush to get a driver’s license, are going out on fewer dates, are more likely to feel lonely, and are less likely to get enough sleep.

The Essex study also determined that when there is a phone present, it can give off a negative first impression, interfere with interpersonal closeness, and prevent the development of trust.

The younger generations’ social habits have changed and are different than older generations because they’re digital natives—they grew up in a technologically saturated world.

Almost half of Millennials (39%) interact more with their smartphone than with their significant others, parents, friends, children, or co-workers. One specific social interaction that has seen a direct impact is romance. According to Match.com, younger generations have less structured, in-person dates, and instead spend more time communicating digitally.

Next time you’re hanging out with friends, on a date, or at a family get-together, make it a point to set aside your phone so that you can be present in the moment.

6) Mental Health

There is a connection between increased screen time and the rise in mental health issues among teenagers. Since 2008, the use of mobile device usage and mental illness have been following a very similar rising curve. Research has shown that social media, Internet addiction, and the negative impacts of EMF radiation is taking a toll on peoples’ mental health.

Yearly, 1 in 5 adults experience a mental illness. Additionally, the suicide rate is on the rise, especially for young adults and adolescents. In 2012, over 50% of Millennials had a smartphone. Coincidentally, that same year, psychological well-being took a dip. This study has revealed an established link between screen time and your mental health state.

Scientists have even created a term to describe the relationship people may have with their phones. “Nomophobia” means the fear of losing your cell phone or being without it. Scientists are looking closer at the psychological connection between a person and their phone, and have determined it stems from two factors.

First, the feeling of anxiety related to not having your phone or not having a working phone. Second, the reliance on phones to do everything: keep phone numbers, Google questions, provide GPS directions, track workouts, the list goes on.

The dependency on phones does not bode well for mental health. Less face-to-face interaction means compromised social relationships, which is a major risk factor for developing Depression. This increased screen time, leading to a lack of physical connection while fostering through social media a “compare and despair” attitude and feelings of inadequacy, is being pinpointed as a cause for rising mental illness among youth.

A link between phones and stress has been established. In a study evaluating the psychosocial risks of cell phones, it argues that stress is related to “feeling compelled to promptly respond to cell-phone activity in order to maintain spontaneity and access with others.“

Victoria Strohmeyer, a registered psychotherapist with UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center, stated that getting a phone notification actually activates the sympathetic nervous system, the part of the body that’s always scanning the environment. It will trigger a shot of adrenaline that will create a domino effect, increasing heart rate, pulse, muscle tension, and transferring energy from the brain to our muscles. It can take up to 30 minutes for your body to return to homeostasis, but when phones are constantly pinging with alerts, it can lead to chronic stress, which can develop into further health problems like heart disease, depression, sleep deprivation, and chronic fatigue.

Next time you are feeling like your screen time is affecting your mental state, try stepping away from your devices and taking a digital detox. Detoxing is the first step in overcoming an addiction, and many people are, in fact, addicted to their phones.

In today’s society, we usually need our phones for one reason or another. But taking a detox could lead to decreased phone usage, which may help your mental health. To learn more about mobile devices and their relationship with mental health, check out our mental health and EMF article.

7) Distraction

Screen time is on the rise thanks to smartphones and other devices that contribute to our hyper-connected lifestyle. One survey from the NY Post found that Americans spend 42% of their waking hours looking at a screen. This includes looking at phones, tablets, computers, TVs, and other screens.

In March 2020, the Coronavirus caused many peoples’ screen time to increase, even though device usage was already high.

When it comes to looking at phone screens, another report that studied 11,000 users of the app, RescueTime, found that the average person had 3 hours and 15 minutes of screen time. The high end of users had over 4.5 hours of phone usage.

But how many people actually have 4 hours of their day completely free to look at their phones? Not many.

Phones are an easy distraction from work, school, working out, and even consuming other media like streaming and podcasts. Oftentimes, it’s easier to just stay occupied by your phone rather than do something else–or even when you are doing something else.

Some experts blame the rise of smartphones for fueling the multitasking culture. According to Mike Olson, a senior analyst at Piper Jaffray, “the ability to participate in most of these activities, with an additional device beyond your TV or your PC, has had a huge impact on multitasking, and therefore consumption of more media or content.”

But the human brain can’t actually consciously focus on more than one thing at a time, and trying to do so has led to everything from lower academic test results, to lower-quality social interaction, and even to more accidents and emergency room visits.

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, there were almost 6,000 pedestrian fatalities in the U.S. in 2017—a number last seen in the 90s—with experts suspecting distracted walking as the primary cause. Similar to texting while walking, “multitasking” on your phone while driving has become a deadly habit.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 9% (3,000) of fatal car crashes in the U.S. in 2017 were attributed to a distracted driver. Additionally, 599 non-occupants (pedestrians and bikers, for example) were killed by a distracted driver. And the largest proportion of distracted drivers were in the 15-19 age group, which is also the age group that grew up attached to phones.

Cell phones are literally killing people on the road. Researchers from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that cell phones create a tangible threat to drivers by creating a distraction. Using your phone while driving—texting, checking an email, dialing a number—creates a prolonged time that the driver is not paying attention to the road. Texting caused the driver to take their eyes off the road for an average of 23 seconds and doubled the risk of fatal crashes. When making a phone call, from reaching for your phone, looking up a contact and dialing the number, the crash risk triples.

Since screens are now ubiquitous in society, make a point to step away from mobile devices and screens. Many devices have built-in screen time usage limits you can set, so that when you hit the allotted time, the app shuts down. There’s also a variety of apps you can download to your phone to prevent phone use while driving.

8) Physical Pain

Over many years, the human body has evolved to adapt to its lifestyle and the situations it encounters. Since phones have become a staple in today’s life, our bodies make physical changes because of our phone usage.

When you use your phone for activities besides phone calls, oftentimes you are looking down at it. Believe it or not, this can cause an injury. “Text neck” is a term coined by Dr. DL Fishman, a chiropractor. He describes it as a “repeated stress injury and pain in the neck resulting from excessive watching or texting on handheld devices over a sustained period of time.”

Any time you tilt your head forward, you are putting additional pounds of force on your neck. Tilting your head 30 degrees forward puts about 40 pounds of force on your neck, and it increases to 60 pounds at 60 degrees. That is equivalent to the weight of a child.

Text neck can lead to shoulder pain, upper back pain, headaches, and increased thoracic kyphosis—a hunched back. In the long run, it may cause early onset arthritis, spinal misalignment, spinal degeneration, disc compression, muscle weakness, and loss of lung capacity.

In addition to text neck, “text claw” refers to the feelings of soreness and cramping in your fingers, wrist, and forearm after spending too much time on your phone. While it’s not an official medical diagnosis, many people can relate to these feelings after over-usage.

Dr. Aaron Daluiski, chief of the Hand and Upper Extremity Service at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City, explained that constant use of handheld devices can exacerbate certain conditions, and can even cause tendinitis, which is inflammation of the tendons.

Prolonged use of phones can worsen temporary pain into permanent problems. One report from the Journal of Orthopaedic Case Reports found that abuse of touch screen phones can lead to Trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis, or rather arthritis in the bottom of the thumb joint. More doctors are seeing an increase of young adults with arthritis pain as a result from their technology usage. Dr. Vipul N. Nanavati, an orthopedic specialist and director of the upper extremity program at the Orthopedic Specialty Hospital at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, says that the most common place young adults are developing arthritis is at the base of the thumb because of the repetitive hand use.

Another physical ailment people may develop thanks to cell phones stems from Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity, commonly referred to as EHS. EHS sufferers experience symptoms as a result of being more sensitive to EMFs than the average person. Symptoms can create physical pain like tingling, nausea, headaches, and muscle weakness. To learn more about EHS, here’s an article for you.

Addressing feelings of pain and soreness in your neck, upper body, arms, and hands is important to prevent long-term damage. Remember to take breaks, apply heat or ice depending on the type of pain, and move your body and stretch out your muscles.

9) Environmental Impact

Researchers from McMaster University found that over the last decade, the environmental impact from our modern technology has worsened. Since 2007, the industry’s carbon footprint has tripled, and it is estimated by 2040 to make up 14% of the global carbon footprint.

While devices are shrinking—from once giant brick cell phones to now palm-sized devices—the drastic rise in the number of devices and their power usage is detrimental.

Phones are the worst offenders of electronic devices because they are more disposable than other devices. They typically have a two-year average life cycle, so phones are constantly being thrown out. Discarded electronics are the world’s fastest growing waste problem. A study from United Nations University found that in 2016, 43 million tons of electronic waste was disposed of, a rise of 8% from the previous two years. Here’s a staggering picture: the weight of the e-waste is equivalent to nine Great Pyramids of Giza or 4,500 Eiffel Towers, according to UK’s The Telegraph.

When you get rid of your old phone, you need to get a new phone, so the production of smartphones is through the roof. The hardware within smartphones, specifically the chip and the motherboard, require rare materials (gold and silver, for example). The mining of those materials does not come without significant environmental impact. In fact, mining the rare materials accounts for up to 95% of the device’s total CO2 emissions during its lifespan. It would take an entire decade of charging and operating a smartphone to balance out how much energy it takes to buy a new smartphone.

Sending texts, posting on Instagram, or checking email all requires data. While that data is essentially a virtual stream of 0s and 1s, it has tangible impacts. In order for your phone to send and receive data, it must be processed through data centers. These data centers are massive warehouses chock full of servers. This uses an extensive amount of power to run, and to keep the servers cool. To learn more about the environmental impact of data centers, check out this article.

With the introduction of 5G, we will not only exponentially increase our power usage and environmental footprint, but 5G and EMF frequencies also have a negative effect on many plants, animals, and ecosystems.

10) Privacy and Security

Smartphones do so much more than simply make phone calls, and because of that should not be overlooked as a serious threat to our privacy.

Since they are always on (who can remember the last time you actually turned off your phone?), your phone is constantly being tracked. The GPS chip that enables your map app to safely guide you to the nearest Starbucks on your road trip also tracks your every move. Turning off your GPS antenna won’t make you untraceable. Engineering researchers at Princeton University discovered that other sensors in the hardware can still be used to find and track your phone.

Connecting to public WiFi is also a way people can be tracked. Nordstrom came under fire in 2013 when it was made known that it used the service Euclid Analytics to track shoppers when they connected to the store’s public WiFi.

Location tracking does have its benefits, like when you use Find My iPhone after misplacing it for the thousandth time. But, it also allows hackers and thieves to know where your phone, and most of the time you, are. It can be leveraged against you to know your location 24/7. A person with malicious intent could use your location to determine where you live, where you work, what school your children attend, when you are out running errands, when you go on vacation, and pretty much all of your daily movements and habits. Or they could sell all this information. It’s scary to think what could be done with this data.

Another privacy issue surrounds all the apps people download on their phones. A lot of times, when an app is downloaded, you agree to the app permissions, usually without reading them. But why does the photo editing app need access to your GPS and contacts? If you don’t feel comfortable agreeing to those permissions, find another app to use because there are plenty of other options. Agreeing to provide personal information to unknown app developers is an invasion of privacy.

Have more concerns about privacy in the digital world? Check out this blog article to learn more and find out ways you can protect yourself.

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Top 10 Reasons Your Cell Phone May Be Bad For You & The Planet

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In our modern lives, cell phones and other devices have become irreplaceable. Fifty-three percent of children now own a smartphone by age eleven. Eighty-four percent of teenagers have their own phone. And out of all Americans, 96% own a cellular device. With such widespread usage, it is hard to imagine that cell phones and other...

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One of the unfortunate consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic was that it forced many children to learn from home. It is now well-documented that remote learning resulted in substantial learning loss. The slowdown in academic progress was especially pronounced among Black students, Latino students and those from low-income households.

Yet, evidence from a 2020 NewSchools Venture Fund/Gallup study suggests that the quality of digital learning tools (websites, apps, online tutorials, online games and videos, or programs used to teach and support student learning and schoolwork) may have blunted the negative impact of remote schooling. Better student outcomes -- including ease of learning from home, confidence in schools' ability to provide high-quality education, and expectations for learning progress -- are strongly associated with the quality of digital learning tools, as reported by teachers, parents and students.

These results are based on web surveys conducted in July and August 2020, with 1,111 teachers, 2,345 parents and 1,088 students in grades three through 12. Student and parent responses were excluded if parents stated that their child did no distance learning in the spring of 2020 (less than 1% of the sample).

The findings indicate that universal access to digital learning tools will probably not generate gains for students nor equitable opportunities across groups of students unless the tools themselves are of high quality.

About one in five teachers, parents and students rated their digital learning tools as "excellent," less than the proportion who rated them as "fair" or "poor." The preponderant response -- comprising roughly half of answers -- was that digital learning tools were "good." There was remarkable consistency across teachers, parents and students in providing these ratings.

Custom graphic. About one in five teachers (21%), parents (20%) and students (20%) rated their digital learning tools in the spring of 2020 as excellent, less than the proportion who rated them as fair or poor.

Teachers working in schools with a higher percentage of children from low-income households were less likely to rate digital learning tools as "excellent" or "good" than were teachers serving high-income students. In general, schools with a higher percentage of children from low-income families had lower-quality digital learning tools, according to their teachers.¹ When comparing teachers at schools with less than 25% of students meeting eligibility criteria for reduced-price lunch to those with at least 75%, the gap in digital learning quality (using the share reporting "excellent" or "good") was 10.9 percentage points in favor of students from high-income households. This suggests that students in low-income schools had less access to the most useful digital tools.

Custom graphic. Teachers working in schools with a higher percentage of children from low-income households, at 67.4%, were less likely to rate digital learning tools used in the spring of 2020 as excellent or good than were teachers serving high-income students, at 78.3%.

Across teachers, parents and students, the quality of digital learning tools is strongly associated with several indicators of learning outcomes. These indicators measure the reported ease of learning from home, confidence in schools' ability to provide high-quality education, and expectations for learning progress in the subsequent semester.

When asked whether students found learning from home easy or hard compared with learning at school, teachers, parents and students who reported having high-quality learning technology were all more likely than those without that digital advantage to consider remote learning "easy" or "very easy." For instance, teachers who rated their digital learning tools as "excellent" were 32 percentage points more likely to say remote learning was easy or very easy, compared with teachers who rated their digital learning tools as "poor." The gaps in ease of learning reported by parents and students were 45 points and 13 points, respectively.

When asked about the upcoming fall semester of 2020, each group also expressed greater confidence in their school's ability to provide high-quality education when they reported having high-quality learning technology. To illustrate, we looked at the percentages of respondents who expressed high confidence in their school's ability (a "4" or "5" on a five-point scale) among two groups: those who gave digital learning tools an "excellent" rating and those who gave them a "poor" rating. Confidence in school ability was 31 percentage points higher among teachers who rated digital tools as "excellent" compared with those rating them "poor." The effect was even stronger for parents (38 points) and stronger still for students (44 points). Thus, across all groups, optimism about their school's ability to provide high-quality education was much higher when digital learning tools were perceived as high-quality.

Likewise, when asked whether students would learn more, the same or less than in a typical fall semester, each group was much more likely to expect learning gains to be on par with the standards or even above them when they rated digital learning tools as "excellent" compared with "poor." In this case, the gaps for teachers, parents and students were similar, at 28, 30 and 34 points, respectively.

To rule out whether the association between quality digital tools and educational outcomes simply reflects a bias toward positivity by certain respondents, or household income levels, we conducted additional research to test for those issues. Even when controlling for these factors, the results didn't change. Thus, we have confidence that there is a robust association. Details of this analysis are provided in the appendix.

Overall, these results suggest a strong connection between learning during the pandemic and the quality of digital learning tools. Moreover, there is remarkable agreement on the important relationship between technology and learning across students, parents and teachers. Taken at face value, these results provide compelling motivation to identify the best digital learning tools and make them more widely available. At the very least, doing so would likely raise students' and their supporters' confidence in making learning gains, boost expectations for exceeding standards, and ease the difficulty of learning from home.

Yet, there are several important limitations to this analysis, which point to opportunities for further research to test these findings more rigorously. The survey did not directly measure learning using objective, reliable metrics -- such as performance on standardized tests. However, subjective reports and expectations are often correlated with objective progress, so the positive association between digital learning and actual learning would likely hold using objective measures. Still, test score data would clarify the strength of the relationship and allow for comparisons to other well-studied interventions, like tutoring.

The same measurement limitation applies to the subjective evaluation of digital learning tools. These subjective measures should be considered alongside objective specifications or specific software. In future studies, researchers could ask students, parents and teachers to provide subjective ratings of specific digital tools to study the relationship between the two. Those data could then be used to identify the features of digital technology that predict higher ratings.

Beyond measurement challenges, another important limitation is that the association between technology and learning cannot be confidently interpreted as a causal effect because the quality of digital learning tools is not randomly assigned. More ambitious social science research could randomly assign students to use the highest-rated tools and test the effects on objective learning outcomes.

In the absence of those findings, the results here nonetheless should motivate school administrators to solicit feedback from teachers, parents and students about whether the digital tools they currently use are working for them. Even with most districts providing full-time in-person schooling, the quality of digital learning tools is likely to affect learning outcomes for the foreseeable future.

Custom graphic. Better student outcomes -- including ease of learning from home, confidence in schools' ability to provide high-quality education, and expectations for learning progress -- are strongly associated with the quality of digital learning tools, as reported by teachers, parents and students.

To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on Twitter.

Footnotes

[1] School characteristics -- including the share of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch -- were matched to teacher responses using data from the U.S. Department of Education. U.S. federal government guidelines show that students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch if their household income is at or below 185% of the federal poverty line threshold. For a household of two, that threshold was just under $32,000 in 2020.

Appendix

As briefly alluded to above, one possible source of bias in these results is that students with more positive attitudes about school generally will be more positive about both technology and learning. To test this, we examined 11 items about student school attitudes not directly related to technology. These items included "I do schoolwork that makes me want to learn more" and "There is someone at my school who cares about me as a person." Students were asked to rate their agreement with these items on a 1-to-5 scale. Using the mean response across items for each student, we created a construct to measure "positive attitudes toward school." This index is positively correlated with ratings for the quality of technology (correlation coefficient is 0.38), measured by whether the student rated digital learning tools as excellent/good or fair/poor. In other words, students who like their digital learning tools are more likely to appreciate other aspects of school.

To check for potential bias, we estimated three statistical models that regressed the three outcomes analyzed above (confidence in school's ability to provide high-quality education, expectations about students' learning, and ease of learning from home) on the quality of technology and the positive attitudes index. In all three models, the quality of digital technology predicted significantly better outcomes, even after controlling for attitudes. We added further controls for household income, and the results did not change. These results gave us some confidence that there is a robust association between the quality of technology, as perceived by students, and their own assessment of learning outcomes. Since we do not find evidence for this positive attitude bias in students, we doubt it would be present in parents and teachers, though we lack data on more general attitudes for these groups.

Author(s)

Jonathan Rothwell is Principal Economist at Gallup.

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Better Technology Produced Better Learning Outcomes During Pandemic

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The pandemic forced many children to use digital learning tools from home. Research shows the quality of those tools is related to learning outcomes.

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This article is the second in a series that details the major findings from the recent Gallup-2U Boot Camp Graduates Study, which surveyed 3,824 adults in the U.S. who graduated from a 2U-powered boot camp program between 2016 and 2021.
Workforce development programs such as boot camps and career pathways training programs are designed to help workers quickly gain the in-demand skills and credentials they need to transition into high-demand, higher-wage jobs in specific sectors or grow within their current roles or companies.

But there is little research on how effective these types of programs are, specifically for people of color. In fact, a Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies analysis released just this year found less than a handful of evaluations of career pathway training programs report on trainee outcomes by race.

Drawing from interviews with 3,824 graduates of 2U-powered university boot camps, a new study by Gallup and educational technology company 2U looks at how effective tech boot camp programs are for graduates from various backgrounds, including populations traditionally underrepresented in technology jobs, such as people of color and women.

Salaries Rose After Graduation

Although it may not have been the main driver of why they enrolled in boot camps, all boot camp graduates surveyed reported making more money shortly after graduation than they were earning before -- regardless of their race or ethnicity, gender, age and whether they live in urban or rural areas.

One year after graduation, the median salary for all boot camp graduates surveyed was $11,000 higher than what they reported making the year they graduated. And the median income growth in the year following boot camp graduation was 17%. Median pay increased across all groups of boot camp graduates surveyed, regardless of race, gender, age and urbanicity, with growth ranging from 6% to 21%.

STEM Jobs Nearly Tripled Before and After Boot Camp

Computer science-related jobs are some of the fastest-growing occupations in the U.S. job market. But despite efforts over the years to increase diversity in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) workforce, Black, Hispanic and female workers remain underrepresented, particularly in computing jobs.

Boot camps could potentially bridge some of these gaps. About one in six (17%) boot camp graduates were employed in a STEM occupation at the time they enrolled in their boot camp. One year after graduation, this percentage nearly tripled to 48%.

Further, the percentages of boot camp graduates employed in STEM jobs after graduation at least doubled across all demographics -- notably nearly tripling among female graduates (14% to 41%) and Black graduates (15% to 43%). Similar increases were evident too among graduates regardless of whether one of their parents had a bachelor's degree. Nearly half of respondents in both groups were employed in a STEM role after boot camp.

It is worth noting that not all boot camp graduates enrolled in their program to transition into a STEM career. For example, some may have wanted to incorporate UX/UI knowledge into their role as a graphic designer, and still others may have enrolled for personal interest or development. When limiting analysis only to those who explicitly stated they wanted to change careers after their boot camp, the percentage of students who successfully make that transition is even higher.

Nearly four in 10 Asian and White graduates who enrolled in their boot camps with the goal of changing careers -- but were not employed in STEM jobs prior to boot camp -- have transitioned to a STEM role following graduation. This percentage (38%) is slightly higher than the 28% of Black graduates and 30% of Hispanic graduates who said the same.

Graduates Who Moved From Non-STEM to STEM Jobs Saw Most Income Growth

Most STEM jobs command higher salaries than non-STEM jobs. For example, the median annual wage for computer and technology occupations in May 2021 was $97,430, which was considerably higher than the median annual wage for all occupations of $45,760.

Consistent with these income figures, boot camp graduates who moved from a non-STEM job to a STEM job after graduation saw the most substantial income growth. The median income growth rate for those moving from a non-STEM role to a STEM role was 29%, compared with roughly 10% among those who did not change from a non-STEM role to a STEM role.

Implications

Graduates of 2U-powered boot camp programs reported earning substantially more money just one year after graduation, regardless of race, gender, age or where they live. These graduates were also finding new jobs after graduation -- many of them in STEM fields -- which suggests boot camps could play an important role in filling in-demand tech jobs and significantly increase the earnings of people who do move to that field.

One employer who participated in a qualitative study for 2U said their industry needs a more diverse talent base to better serve their clients and existing employees. "As we build certain technologies that affect everyone, we need to have an engineering base that reflects the patients that we serve," the employer said. "And without bringing in more diverse individuals, we risk losing the ones that we already have."

Although the survey of 2U boot camp graduates is limited to only one provider, it suggests that programs such as these have the potential to provide pathways to high-demand, higher-wage jobs and help the tech industry and other employers add much-needed diversity to their base of talent.

In the coming weeks, Gallup will publish the third and final article in this series that delves into graduates' satisfaction with their jobs before and after graduation. Gallup will also share what some employers had to say about boot camps.

The full results from the study will be released in a report this summer.

Author(s)

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Tech Boot Camps Linked to Higher Pay, STEM Jobs

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This article is the second in a series that details the major findings from the recent Gallup-2U Boot Camp Graduates Study, which surveyed 3,824 adults in the U.S. who graduated from a 2U-powered boot camp program between 2016 and 2021.

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Big tech companies play a huge role in our lives. They can afford to give their employees a raise. But they also don't give their competitors a chance because they are so big.

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Technology has and will open more opportunities for many people. Ex: Amazon, Tesla, NASA.

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The elements of culture that are most impactful on your life

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The elements of culture that are most impactful on your life

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Family, Language, Food, Sport, Fashion, Education, Technology

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I enjoy playing Volleyball because its fun. I also like food, nothing in particular.

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Aspects of your culture that you would like to change

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I would like to change my fashion. I am not very good with fashion and I would like to change that.

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