RT @UM_PSC: A new University of Michigan study by @UM_PSC trainee @SpencerAllen907 @UMSociology found that broadband connection was a key f….

This paper was a labor of love, and I’m grateful for all the guidance I’ve received from mentors, colleagues and friends @Dartmouth (I’m especially indebted to my UG advisor Jason Houle) @UMSociology @UM_PSC and elsewhere. 9/9.

In sum, I find evidence that internet access was a net-positive for COVID-19 outcomes in the US. Despite this, internet access remains unequally allocated in the US and around the world, and more robust efforts are needed to close the digital divide. 8/.

(3) Internet access was also negatively associated with COVID-19 deaths. In fact, high internet access counties were predicted to have ~ 50% of the COVID-19 deaths as low internet access counties. This association was similarly robust across all time periods 7/.

(2) Internet access was negatively associated with COVID-19 cases in summer and fall 2020, but that effect grew weaker in longer time periods. 6/

I have three main findings: (1) Internet access was positively associated with masking in July 2020, but the effect size in a fully controlled model is modest. 5/.

Unlike prior studies, I focus on the summer and fall of 2020 and use three time periods (4, 8, and 12 wks from July 14, 2020) to better understand the pre-vaccine period and to gauge the pandemic’s momentum. 4/.

In this paper, I argue that internet access was actually *useful* in spreading true information about masking and subsequently reducing COVID-19 case and death rates in the US. 3/.

The internet was a key source of pandemic misinformation. But, while a lot of research focused on how people *used* the internet to get (mis)information, the outcomes of simply having *access* to the internet (or not at all) are less understood. 2/.

I’m very excited to announce that my first paper has just been published in SSM-Population Health! (and it’s open access!) 🧵 1/

(Also, 💙☁️ heard this news first! If you’re over there, feel free to follow me [at] spencerallen [dot] bsky [dot] social).

I’m excited to share that I’ll be joining the @SSReditorial Editorial Office as a Managing Editor starting Jan. 1, 2025!.

Efforts to force a national recount, while they can feel rewarding, are a waste of time. As voters and as citizens, we ought to accept defeat, take the high road, and fight like hell for the future we hope to see.

I’m no political scientist or pundit so I’m not qualified to diagnose why Harris lost and Trump won, but it’s much easier to explain why if you think about flaws in campaign strategy as opposed to 20 million votes suddenly disappearing.

I’ve worked the polls for six years, most recently yesterday. It’s impossible for a candidate to lose by this margin due to fraud or error. As much as it can be painful to admit (& I’m a Democrat, so I don’t ), Harris lost and Trump won, fair and square.

RT @janetjwang: The university doesn't have money to keep GSI positions, nor can it adequately fund Flint and Dearborn campuses, but it has….

Easily my least favorite part of living in a swing state is getting political flyers in the mail. At least a dozen in the past two-three weeks. And none for the candidate I actually think I’ll vote for!.

RT @hankgreen: I am seeing this graph everywhere missing the context that these numbers are just for swing state voters and if you look at….

Perks of being a demographer: I can look up cities' populations AND get paid for it!.

Moving to a new place and not having furniture yet means getting creative with your work from home set up!