Digital inclusion and wellbeing: a dual-mediation analysis of resource and information among university students in Saudi Arabia

As digital technologies become more prevalent in daily life and increasingly essential to shaping the future, their impact on well-being has recently garnered considerable scholarly interest. Nonetheless, despite extensive study over many decades, no persuasive scientific evidence indicates whether digital technology improves or detracts well-being. This research examines a framework for promoting digital inclusion to bridge the digital divide, ensuring equitable access to technology and fostering a digitally empowered society for improved general well-being (life satisfaction and happiness). Using a convenience sampling technique, 238 responses were obtained from Saudi Arabian university students, providing a robust basis for assessing 12 hypotheses. Partial least squares-structured equation modeling (PLS-SEM) via nonparametric software (SmartPLS 4) was used to analyze the proposed conceptual model. The findings indicate that digital inclusion is crucial for evaluating individuals’ ability to connect with technology and, subsequently, determining how these interactions with digital tools provide crucial information and resources for overall well-being. The findings revealed that most direct relationships were significant, except for the link between digital inclusion and life satisfaction. Furthermore, all mediating relationships were significant, except the mediating effect of resources on digital inclusion and life happiness. The results of this investigation have significant implications for the educational institutions and students. The findings of this study offer important implications for policymakers and educational institutions, particularly in guiding the development of targeted digital inclusion policies and the integration of resource and information access into university curricula and student support services to enhance student wellbeing.