互联网使用对城市老年人社会参与的影响研究

A Study of the Impact of Internet Use on the Social Participation of Chinese Urban Elderly

本文基于2018年中国家庭追踪调查数据,实证分析了互联网使用对城市老年人社会参与的影响。研究发现,互联网使用对城市老年人的政治参与和志愿参与有显著正向影响,而对其经济参与有显著负向影响,该结果通过内生性和稳健性检验。年龄异质性检验表明互联网使用对全年龄段老年人经济参与均有抑制作用,仅对低龄老年人政治参与和志愿参与有促进作用;性别异质性检验表明互联网使用对男性政治参与的正向影响高于女性,对女性志愿参与的正向影响和经济参与的负向影响高于男性;地区异质性检验表明互联网使用对政治参与和志愿参与的正向影响呈现由东部地区向西部地区的递减趋势,对经济参与的负向影响呈现由东部地区向西部地区的递增趋势。调节效应分析表明退休后的高收入水平会强化互联网使用对经济参与的负向影响。中介效应表明互联网使用可能通过社会网络和文化资本影响城市老年人政治参与,通过信息渠道和社会网络影响其志愿参与。本文的研究有助于厘清互联网对城市老年人社会参与的实际影响,提高积极老龄化政策实施效果。

Based on the data from the China Family Panel Studies 2018,this paper examines the impact of Internet use on the social participation of the urban elderly in China.The results show that Internet use has a significant positive impact on the political participation and voluntary participation of the urban elderly,and a significant negative impact on their economic participation.This result is still valid after the endogeneity test and robustness test.The heterogeneity test of age groups shows that Internet use inhibits the economic participation of the elderly at all ages,and promotes the political participation and voluntary participation of the young elderly only.The heterogeneity test of gender groups shows that Internet use has a higher positive impact on men’s political participation than women’s,and a higher positive impact on women’s voluntary participation and a higher negative impact on women’s economic participation than men’s.The heterogeneity test of regional groups shows that the positive impact of the Internet on political participation and voluntary participation is decreasing from east to west,and the negative impact on economic participation is increasing from east to west.The moderating effect shows that the high income of the urban elderly after retirement will strengthen the negative impact of Internet use on the economic participation.The mediating effect shows that Internet use may affect political participation through social network and cultural capital,and affect voluntary participation through information channel and social network.This study will help to further clarify the actual impact of the Internet on the social participation of the elderly,and enhance the effectiveness and pertinence of active aging policies.