The Impact of Mobile Internet Use on Intergenerational Relations in Aging Society

Abstract

Considering data from the fourth wave of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS2016), this paper examines the impact of mobile Internet usage on the relationship between adult children and elderly parents. Results drawn from ordered Probit and mediation models show that mobile Internet use, rather than the usage of the fixed Internet, enhances the parent–child relationship. Secondly, older parents, having two or more children, cannot benefit well from using the mobile Internet, and they may rely more on phone calls to uphold intergenerational contact. Thirdly, the mobile Internet enhances the non-face-to-face contact between the two generations. Also, it reduces face-to-face contact in child–parent relationships and improves face-to-face contact in the parent–child relationship. Therefore, related to increasing in the population aging, relevant departments should continue to enhance the use of mobile Internet by reducing the usage costs, improving the usage capabilities, and innovating mobile phone functions, and remain cautious due to the reduction in face-to-face communication caused by the mobile Internet use.