Impacts of Internet on Openness to Change in China: Millennials Versus Pre-Millennials

Objective This article explores whether there are different consequences from Internet use-in the form of changed political attitudes-for older Chinese as compared to their younger counterparts. Methods Using data from a nationwide representative survey of Chinese adults, analyses include both cross-tabulation and multiple regression. Results It is found that millennials are more open to political change than are older Chinese, that older Internet users-as compared to older nonusers-have attitudes more similar to those of millennials, and that differences in attitudes are greater between older users and nonusers than between millennial users and nonusers. Conclusion The findings support the conclusion that Internet use has had greater consequences for changed political attitudes for older Chinese than for their younger counterparts.