Bridging the Digital Divide: Leveraging New Media for Rural Development

JingJing Zheng, Dasen Yang, Enlong Li (), Yurong Ma and Yu Wang ()
Additional contact information
JingJing Zheng: Guangxi University of Finance and Economics
Dasen Yang: NanNing University
Enlong Li: Guilin Tourism University
Yurong Ma: Hong Kong Shue Yan University
Yu Wang: City University of Macau

Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, No 162, 4626-4651

Abstract: Abstract This research investigates the impacts of new media adoption on rural economic development in Guangxi, China, focusing on four variables, new media development, users’ perceived value and their continuance participation intention. By conducting an online sampling survey, data were collected from 172 rural residents. The results indicate significant direct effects among variables, and mediated by users’ perceived value and intention to continue participation. The findings highlight the importance of new media in promoting local agricultural products, entrepreneurial creativity, and employment opportunities in rural areas. These results remark theoretical implications for understanding the role of digital technologies in rural development. Moreover, practical significance of new media for local governments and stakeholders in sustainable rural revitalization is also emphasized. The research further underscores that bridging the rural-urban digital divide by promoting digital inclusion and literacy among rural residents should be prioritized. By addressing barriers to access and enhancing digital skills, the use of new media technologies may become more common, fostering inclusive economic growth and social development in rural areas. In the presentation of future study, the research also points out the long-term effects of new media adoption on rural communities can be focused on, including its impact on social cohesion, cultural preservation, and environmental sustainability. By deepening our understanding of the dynamics, researchers can provide valuable insights into the production of effective strategies for leveraging digital technologies in the promotion of rural revitalization.

Keywords: Rural development; New media; Digital technology; Digital economy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s13132-024-02130-5 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:jknowl:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s13132-024-02130-5

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/economics/journal/13132

DOI: 10.1007/s13132-024-02130-5

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of the Knowledge Economy is currently edited by Elias G. Carayannis

More articles in Journal of the Knowledge Economy from Springer, Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET)
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().