Better educated children, better Internet-connected elderly parents

Despite its potential benefits, Internet adoption among older adults has long lagged behind that of younger age groups. This paper examines how adult children's education affects elderly parents' Internet use. We exploit the arguably exogenous variation in children's years of schooling induced by the enforcement of the compulsory education law around 1986 in China. Using a sample of rural older adults from the China Family Panel Studies, we find that one additional year of children's education increases the probability of parents' Internet use by 3.4 percentage points. The increase is driven by Internet use via mobile devices rather than computers. Parents with better-educated children are more likely to use the Internet for study, social, and entertainment activities. The subsample analysis shows stronger effects of daughters' education, and the estimated effects of children's education are larger for fathers or parents with relatively more education. We also provide suggestive evidence that better cognitive health might help explain the effects of children's education.

Automated summary

Despite the potential benefits, Internet adoption among older adults has been lower compared to younger age groups. This study examines the impact of adult children's education on elderly parents' Internet use. The findings suggest that every additional year of children's education increases the likelihood of parents' Internet use by 3.4 percentage points, particularly through mobile devices. Parents with better-educated children are more likely to use the Internet for educational, social, and entertainment purposes. Daughters' education has a stronger effect, and the impact of children's education is larger for fathers or parents with higher education. The study also provides suggestive evidence that better cognitive health may explain the effects of children's education.