Abstract:
Digital inclusion of older adults is of great significance for enhancing their subjective well-being, addressing population aging, and improving people's livelihood. Based on data from the 2022 China Family Panel Studies, this study constructs a multi-dimensional evaluation index system for digital inclusion and older adults' subjective wellbeing, empirically tests the impact and mechanisms between them, and explores the heterogeneity among older groups. The results show that digital inclusion significantly promotes older adults' subjective well-being, with the main channels manifested in enriching online entertainment, facilitating online daily life, and strengthening online social interactions. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the positive effect of digital inclusion on subjective wellbeing is more pronounced among older adults with higher education levels, better health status, younger age, and male gender. The innovation of this study lies in systematically constructing a multi-dimensional evaluation index system for subjective well-being, scientifically assessing the impact of digital inclusion on older adults' subjective well-being, and deeply analyzing the underlying mechanisms. The conclusions provide policy implications for promoting digital inclusion of older adults and enhancing their subjective well-being.