Influence of Internet Use on Chinese Rural Women's Fertility Intention: Evidence from China General Social Survey Data

Objectives: Low birth rate is an unavoidable problem for all countries in the world. Based on the special background of China's urban-rural dual structure, this study explores the impact of Internet use on Chinese rural women's willingness to bear children and provides a practical path for sustainable population development. Methods: We use survey data from the 2021 China General Social Survey (CGSS) and use a cross-sectional data multiple linear regression model for data analysis. Results: The research results show that: (1) Internet use has a negative inhibitory effect on fertility intention; (2) social trust has a positive impact on willingness to bear children, and Internet use reduces the overall social trust of Chinese rural women and their willingness to bear children; (3) Internet use has increased the probability of starting a business among rural women in China, thereby reducing their willingness to bear children; and (4) the negative inhibitory effect of Internet use on women's willingness to bear children is more obvious in the eastern region. Conclusions: The Internet has broken the dilemma of information transmission in rural areas of China, and the dissemination of diversified information has led to changes in the traditional concept of childbearing among rural Chinese women, thereby reducing their willingness to bear children.