Does Mobile Internet Use Affect the Loneliness of Older Chinese Adults? An Instrumental Variable Quantile Analysis

Based on the 2018 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) data, we empirically analyze the effect, heterogeneity, quantile differences and influencing mechanisms of mobile Internet use on loneliness in the elderly. The study found that the loneliness of the elderly who used mobile Internet was 33.1% lower than that of the elderly who did not use the mobile Internet The study also passed the robustness test. There is heterogeneity in the effect of mobile Internet use on loneliness among the elderly of different ages, educational levels and marital status. Among them, the use of mobile Internet has a significant alleviating effect on the loneliness of the 60–70-year-old elderly, those of junior high school education level and below, and the elderly with a partner. The quantile regression analysis showed that the elderly group with a high level of loneliness benefited more from the use of mobile Internet. Mediation analysis further showed that mobile Internet use can improve parent–child relationship, increase offline interactions with children, and reduce children’s tangible support, which we interpret as a potential mechanism for mobile Internet use to alleviate loneliness in the elderly.