Does Mobile Internet Use Affect the Subjective Well-being of Older Chinese Adults? An Instrumental Variable Quantile Analysis

Although mobile Internet has become an integral part of people’s daily life in the world today, research on whether and to what extent mobile Internet use (MIU) affects the subjective well-being (SWB) of older adults is scant. This paper focuses on the SWB-MIU gradients among older Chinese adults and contributes to the literature by exploring the relationship between MIU and SWB across the entire distribution of older adults’ SWB. Using nationally representative data from the China Family Panel Studies, we find that MIU has a significant positive impact on the SWB of older adults in China. Employing an instrumental variable quantile regression approach, we provide robust evidence of an asymmetric distributional impact of MIU on SWB among older Chinese adults. In particular, we find that individuals with lower levels of SWB benefit more from the usage of mobile Internet. The results further indicate that MIU can improve the relationship between older adults and their adult children, and is conducive to the maintenance of kin ties, which we interpret as potential mechanisms through which MIU positively affects SWB among older Chinese adults.