This chapter explores the multifaceted barriers to internet use among older adults aged 65 years or older in China, drawing on data from the 2020 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS). Guided by van Dijk’s digital divide framework, the study categorizes barriers into access, knowledge, and skill gaps. Findings reveal that 90% of older adults face at least one digital barrier. Knowledge and skill gaps are more prevalent than access barriers, highlighting the complexity of digital exclusion. Distinctions between internet users and non-users show that users struggle more with skill-related issues, while non-users primarily face knowledge deficits. Multivariable logistic and linear regression analyses identify economic disadvantages, cognitive impairment, rural residence, and negative perceptions of internet utility as significant predictors of digital barriers. Notably, Han ethnicity, advanced age, and social network characteristics are also associated with reported challenges. The study emphasizes the importance of context-specific and group-sensitive interventions that address both infrastructure and literacy in promoting digital inclusion and equitable access to online services for China’s rapidly aging population.

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Digital Inequality and Barriers Among Older Adults in China

  • Danan Gu,
  • Qiushi Feng,
  • Kun Wang,
  • Haiyan Zhu

摘要

This chapter explores the multifaceted barriers to internet use among older adults aged 65 years or older in China, drawing on data from the 2020 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS). Guided by van Dijk’s digital divide framework, the study categorizes barriers into access, knowledge, and skill gaps. Findings reveal that 90% of older adults face at least one digital barrier. Knowledge and skill gaps are more prevalent than access barriers, highlighting the complexity of digital exclusion. Distinctions between internet users and non-users show that users struggle more with skill-related issues, while non-users primarily face knowledge deficits. Multivariable logistic and linear regression analyses identify economic disadvantages, cognitive impairment, rural residence, and negative perceptions of internet utility as significant predictors of digital barriers. Notably, Han ethnicity, advanced age, and social network characteristics are also associated with reported challenges. The study emphasizes the importance of context-specific and group-sensitive interventions that address both infrastructure and literacy in promoting digital inclusion and equitable access to online services for China’s rapidly aging population.