Digital forgotten people?: decomposing digital divide in urban China

The digital divide among senior citizens is a significant challenge in the information era, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic when elderly individuals’ difficulties with technology negatively impacted their quality of life. This paper analyzes the digital divide by breaking it down into three aspects: ownership, competence, and learning. Using a novel and representative dataset from Shanghai, the study highlights a significant digital divide among the elderly, characterized by lower device ownership, limited digital competence, and restricted learning channels, despite many seniors showing interest in digital skills. This divide is exacerbated by internal disparities tied to age, education, and family support. It highlights the need for targeted policies to enhance digital inclusion for the aging population. Overall, this research contributes conceptual innovation to enhance our understanding of the digital divide and addresses the challenges faced by the ‘digitally forgotten’ in China. Given China’s blend of technological advancement and demographic shifts, the findings of this research have broader implications for global efforts to navigate the complexities of digital transformation in aging societies.