The Sustained Reproduction of the Urban-Rural Digital Divide and Digital Inequality

Ngai Zhan ()
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Ngai Zhan: Shenzhen College of International Education

A chapter in Proceedings of the 2024 2nd International Conference on Economic Management, Financial Innovation and Public Service (EMFIPS 2024), 2025, pp 317-329 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This study explores the phenomenon of the continuous reproduction of the digital divide and digital inequality between urban and rural areas in China. With the widespread application of information technology in various fields, the gap in access to digital resources and development opportunities between urban and rural areas is gradually widening. This article analyzes different aspects of the digital divide, including cognitive disparity, equipment disparity, resource disparity, and disparity in usage purposes. Rural youth are introduced to the internet relatively late and primarily use digital devices for entertainment rather than enhancing their skills, which exacerbates digital inequality between urban and rural areas. Additionally, factors such as family education levels and socio-economic backgrounds further widen the digital usage gap for rural children. This article argues that narrowing this digital divide is crucial for achieving balanced development between urban and rural areas and promoting social equity.

Keywords: Rural Youth; Digital Divide; Digital Inequality; Digital Literacy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:advbcp:978-94-6463-706-9_29

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DOI: 10.2991/978-94-6463-706-9_29

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