A study on the influence of digital literacy on the participation of rural middle-aged and elderly people in digital life: Moderating Effect based on Intergenerational Support

Abstract Based on the micro-survey data of 669 rural middle-aged and elderly people in Shandong Province, this paper explores the impact of digital literacy on the digital life participation of rural middle-aged and elderly people by constructing the evaluation index system of digital literacy, and further tests the moderating effect of intergenerational support on the relationship between digital literacy and digital life participation of rural middle-aged and elderly people. The study shows that the digital literacy and intergenerational support of the middle-aged and elderly people in rural areas are generally low, and the degree of digital life participation is low. Digital literacy has a significantly positive impact on the digital life participation of rural middle-aged and elderly people, and intergenerational support also has a positive impact on it, and intergenerational support has a positive moderating effect on the relationship between digital literacy and the digital life participation of rural middle-aged and elderly people. The impact of digital literacy and intergenerational support on digital life participation varies among different rural middle-aged and elderly groups. Among them, the younger the age, the higher the education level, the higher the personal income, and the occupation of the new agricultural business subject in rural middle-aged and elderly people, the greater the impact of digital literacy and intergenerational support on their digital life participation. Therefore, it puts forward some suggestions such as improving the digital education and cultivation system for the middle and old people, vigorously carrying out digital general education for the middle and old people, strengthening the intergenerational support for children, and promoting the transformation of digital life software for aging.