How Does Internet Use Affect Mental Health of Rural Residents? The Mediating Role of the Neighborhood Social Environment

As digital technology has become increasingly integrated into rural governance and daily life in China, Internet use among rural residents exerts a multifaceted influence on their mental health. A key mechanism lies in its restructuring of the neighborhood social environment. Uncovering this mechanism is essential for understanding the theoretical and practical connections between rural social transformation and individual well-being in the digital age. This study applied a binary probit model to data from the 2020 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) to examine the impact of Internet use on the mental health of rural residents. Mediation analysis was used to examine the role of the neighborhood social environment, and the conditional mixed process method was applied to address potential endogeneity issues. Empirical results demonstrate that access to the Internet, along with the breadth and depth of its use all significantly improve the mental health of rural residents. Internet use promotes mental health by strengthening neighborhood relationship and trust, whereas it also negatively affects mental health by suppressing neighborhood identity. Heterogeneity analyses reveal three key dimensions of variation. (1) By usage type: Activities such as gaming, short-video consumption, and WeChat communication show positive associations with mental health, whereas online shopping and learning exhibit non-significant effects. (2) By user group: The mental health benefits are more pronounced among women, less-educated individuals, and middle-aged to older adults. (3) By region: Positive associations are observed in central and western China, with the most substantial effect in the central region. This study elucidates the mechanism through which Internet use affects mental health: the restructuring of traditional, place-based social capital in rural neighborhoods. These findings offer robust empirical support for policies that integrate digital initiatives with the nurturing of local community bonds to improve rural mental health and foster livable and harmonious villages.