A tale of the digital divide at three levels: the impact on Chinese residents’ subjective relative deprivation in the digital era

The widening digital divide, along with its potential to exacerbate subjective relative deprivation (SRD), poses a substantial barrier to social development. Utilizing the ‘Access Gap-Usage Gap-Utility Gap’ assessment framework and CFPS2016–2018 panel data, this paper examines the impact of the digital divide at three levels on Chinese residents’ SRD. Key findings are as follows: First, the access gap demonstrates no significant impact on the SRD among Chinese residents. Second, both the usage gap and utility gap exert a positive impact on residents’ SRD, indicating lower frequency and perceived importance of Internet use amplify the SRD. Third, both the usage gap and utility gap amplify residents’ SRD by diminishing social networks and social trust. This paper is the first to empirically explore the impact of the three levels of the digital divide on SRD among Chinese residents, offering theoretical insights for understanding the digital divide and for alleviating residents’ SRD.