The paradox role of grandchild care in digital inclusion among Chinese elders: investigating intergenerational support as a mediator.

Population aging and digital transformation have brought increasing attention to the digital divide among older adults, i.e., the gray digital divide. However, existing research has rarely examined this issue from the perspective of elders' roles within the family. Grounded in role theory, this study explores whether grandchild care facilitates or hinders digital inclusion among older adults, considering both access and usage gaps. Furthermore, it investigates the mediating role of intergenerational support in this relationship. Using panel data from the 2018 and 2020 waves of the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS) and employing longitudinal methods, the study found that grandchild care participation was related to higher Internet access, more frequent and instrumental Internet use among elders. However, intensive grandchild care was a negative predictor of Internet use. The mediation analysis revealed that older adults involved in grandchild care tended to receive greater emotional and financial support from their adult children, which in turn helped bridge both the gaps in Internet access and usage. The heterogeneity analysis showed that among grandmothers, urban residents, and less-educated seniors, participation in grandchild care-regardless of caregiving intensity-did not help bridge the usage divide; instead, it was associated with significantly lower levels of Internet use. These findings highlight the dual effects of grandchild care on the gray digital divide and the need for tailored policy interventions.