Effect of internet usage on the life satisfaction of the spousal caregivers of disabled elderly

Abstract

Abstract This empirical study assesses the impact of internet usage on the life satisfaction of the spousal caregivers responsible for disabled elderly. Drawing upon the data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) (released in November 2023), we investigated the health status and life satisfaction of the spousal caregivers for disabled elderly with the recent rapid development of the internet employing a stratified Proportionate to Size Sampling (PPS) approach. We examined whether the life satisfaction of the elders’ spousal caregivers is associated with Internet use and whether Internet adoption can moderate intergenerational relationships, interpersonal interactions, and political-engagement of such caregivers. The study analyzed 760 samples (with an average age of 60.31 years, and rural households comprising 77.14%). We found there has a positive correlation between internet usage and the life satisfaction of the spousal caregivers. This finding enhances our understanding of the relationship between the internet usage and the life satisfaction of such individuals. Additionally, this study promotes the advancement of the internet to cater to the population aging, aids the elderly in bridging the digital divide, and offers a theoretical foundation for the government to establish targeted elderly-friendly internet policies.