The impact of internet use on the well-being of rural residents: evidence from formerly impoverished areas in China

The rise of the digital economy and advances in ICTs, especially the internet, have profoundly reshaped rural residents’ work and daily life. Based on original survey data from 1,037 households in China’s formerly impoverished regions, this study extends Sen’s Capability Approach into the digital domain and proposes a “psychology–health–economy” analytical framework. Employing multiple econometric techniques, we systematically examine the effects of internet use on the multidimensional well-being of rural residents. The findings indicate that internet use significantly enhances well-being by positively influencing happiness, self-reported health status, and household income. Mechanism analyses reveal that these effects are primarily mediated through enhanced self-efficacy, improved access to health-related information, and increased opportunities for non-agricultural employment. Furthermore, the benefits of internet use are more pronounced among younger and middle-aged individuals, underscoring the heterogeneous impacts of digital technology across different age groups. Based on these insights, we propose a hybrid “infrastructure–capability–service” intervention strategy to enhance digital inclusion. This approach calls for strengthening rural internet infrastructure, fostering digital literacy, and developing accessible online service platforms, with the overarching goal of enhancing the multidimensional well-being of rural populations and supporting sustainable rural revitalization.