Can intergenerational relationships mitigate digital exclusion among China’s elderly population?

Yao Zhang, Dongfa Feng, Yuanbin Wang, Bolun Yao and Yunke Deng

Applied Economics, 2025, vol. 57, issue 56, 9623-9643

Abstract: In the burgeoning grey economy, the elderly have been widely praised for their digital readiness dividends. However, there remains a significant gap in the literature regarding solutions to the critical issue of digital exclusion faced by the elderly. This study utilizes the microdata from three waves of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) in 2016, 2018, and 2020 to explore how intergenerational relationships influence the digital exclusion of older adults and identify the mechanisms. The findings reveal that strong intergenerational bonds significantly narrow the digital divide for the elderly. The analysis highlights that such relationships have a more pronounced impact on mitigating elderly digital exclusion among early-aged parents, males, residents of rural areas, and families where parents and offsprings cohabit. The mechanisms through which these relationships exert their influence include promoting intergenerational support exchanges, providing digital guidance from children to parents, and enhancing the elderly’s acceptance of digital technology. Furthermore, this paper employs the ‘one-child policy’ as a quasi-natural experiment to examine the moderating role. The findings underscore the value of nurturing parent-child bonds in reducing digital exclusion among the elderly, offering strategic insights for addressing this issue in societies experiencing both ageing populations and declines in birth rates.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/00036846.2024.2422638

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