Internet use among older adults: Determinants of usage and impacts on individuals’ well-being

Abstract

The older population in China will exceed 300 million by 2025. Severe gaps in digital inclusion exist in the information society, and older adults have not received sufficient attention. This study employed a multivariate probit approach to investigate the influencing factors of internet usage (IU) and the impact of IU on well-being using a nationally representative sample of adults aged 50 and over from the 2018 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). A total of 13,737 individuals were reported in the sample after filtering. After controlling for certain variables, the findings indicated that activities of daily living, cognitive ability, family support, social capital, perceived risk appetite, and perceived importance positively affected IU. In contrast, migration status, the degree of depression, and self-esteem negatively affected IU. Furthermore, the effect of IU on subjective well-being (SWB) could be exerted through perceived usefulness, with an inverted “U” trajectory. There were substantial promotion effects for individuals with lower levels of well-being. Several policy implications are proposed to establish an inclusive IU environment, such as paying more attention to inner-urban older adults rather than just the urban‒rural divide, promoting technology to adapt to older adults’ demands, and encouraging multiple agents to create a good IU environment for older adults. This study provides new insights into the digital divide and well-being among older adults.