分隔的数字包容:移动互联网、设备差距与老年数字鸿沟

Segmented Digital Inclusion:Mobile Internet,Device Gap and Digital Divide for the Elderly

移动互联网能否弥合老年数字鸿沟并实现数字包容?基于2018年中国健康与养老追踪调查(CHARLS)数据,构建Heckman Probit模型和OLS模型,从设备差距的视角考察了移动互联网在老年数字鸿沟治理方面的优势与限制。研究发现,移动互联网在解决第一道老年数字鸿沟方面取得了进展,为经济弱势和代表性不足的老年人提供了可行的接入手段,女性、年龄较大、居住在农村、受教育程度或家庭消费水平较低者更有可能成为纯移动用户,不同群体之间的设备差距可以被视为接入平等的指标;设备差距扩大了第二道老年数字鸿沟,纯移动用户主要将互联网用于休闲性用途,固定-移动用户则将互联网更多地用于工具性用途;扩展性分析显示,设备差距在受教育程度与休闲性使用和工具性使用之间均存在正向调节作用,用户会根据自身的文化偏好对固定或移动互联网的可供性作出适应,进而形塑了更为复杂的互联网使用模式类型学。上述发现表明,移动互联网所实现的是一种“分隔的数字包容”,它在弥合第一道老年数字鸿沟的同时也扩大了第二道老年数字鸿沟,相较之下,固定互联网更具有实现数字包容的潜力。

Can mobile internet bridge the digital divide for the elderly and achieve digital inclusion?Using the data of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study(CHARLS)in 2018,this study constructs Heckman Probit model and OLS model to investigate the advantages and limitations of mobile Internet in governing the divide from the perspective of device gap.This study has found that improvement has been made in mobile Internet as to resolve the first-level divide while feasible accessible means are provided for financially disadvantaged and underrepresented groups.Women,the elderly,rural residents,and those with a lower educational background or household consumption are more likely to become mobile-only users.The device gap between different groups is an indicator of access equality.The gap widens the second-level digital divide.Mobile-only users mainly use the Internet for recreational purposes,while fixed-mobile users more for instrumental purposes.Further analysis shows that device gap positively moderates between education,recreational and instrumental usage.Based on their cultural preferences,users have made adaptations to the affordance of fixed or mobile Internet,thereby shaping a much more complex typology of Internet usage patterns.The above research shows that mobile Internet achieves"segmented digital inclusion",which bridges the first-level while widens the second-level divide at the same time.In contrast,the fixed Internet has more potential to achieve digital inclusion.