Staying or returning: place attachment and internet use affecting the intention to remigrate to rural origins among young individuals

Place attachment and internet use have emerged as the significant determinants of the contemporary patterns of domestic rural-to-urban migration. However, the influence of these factors on the formation of intention towards return migration to rural origins, or rural remigration, particularly among younger demographics, remains largely unexplored. This hypothesis-generating study established a fundamental understanding by examining the relationship between place attachment and the intention to remigrate to rural origins, while simultaneously exploring how internet usage affects place attachment. Employing Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Composite-Based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM), this study examined the theoretical framework using data collected from 100 young adults aged 18–24 years residing in Malang City, Indonesia. The findings revealed the distinct patterns of influence among the examined variables. Place attachment demonstrated a statistically significant direct relationship with remigration intention, whereas internet usage exhibited a statistically insignificant association with the intention. However, the analysis found that digital connectivity (i.e. the Internet) provides a mechanism for maintaining and potentially strengthening emotional connections (i.e. place attachments) to rural origins, even during periods of physical separation. It suggests that investments in telecommunications infrastructure and internet connectivity could serve as policy tools to encourage educated youth to return to their rural hometowns.