Nexus between smartphone use and objective and subjective well-being outcomes: Insights from older residents in rural areas of the People’s Republic of China

Abstract

In an era of information explosion, smartphones have become an indispensable part of human society. Smartphone use is playing a significant role in easing people’s daily life (Colbert, Thornton, and Richmond 2020; García-Milon, Olarte-Pascual, and Juaneda-Ayensa 2021), improving labor productivity (Ma, Grafton, and Renwick 2020), and enhancing human well-being (Nuñez and Radtke 2024; Zhuo et al. 2023). Notably, the advantages conferred are especially evident among marginal groups in underdeveloped regions, like older rural residentsHossain et al. 2020; Zheng, Zhou, and Rahut 2023). Nevertheless, the penetration of smartphones among older rural residents in developing economies remains unacceptably low (He, Li, and Wang 2022). For instance, the smartphone penetration rate among older rural populations in sub-Saharan Africa was around 33% in 2023 (Mukhopadhyay, Bagchi, and Udo 2023). Thus, further exploitation of the efficiency of smartphone use among marginal groups in such areas is reasonably warranted.