互联网使用对老年人社会适应的影响——基于CLASS2023数据的实证分析

The Impact of Internet Use on the Social Adaptation of the Elderly—An Empirical Analysis Based on CLASS2023 Data

摘要: 本文基于2023年中国老年社会追踪调查数据，运用最小二乘法(OLS)、工具变量法、倾向得分匹配法(PSM)实证分析了互联网使用对老年人社会适应的影响。研究发现，互联网使用显著提高了老年人社会适应水平。这一结论在克服内生性偏误和进行稳健性检验后依然成立。机制检验表明，公益性社区参与遮掩了一部分互联网使用对社会适应的正向效应。进一步发现，公益性社区参与与老年人社会适应之间呈非线性的U型关系，即参与只有达到一定阈值才能促进社会适应，否则会起到反作用。因此，应大力推广和普及老年人互联网使用，引导和优化老年人的公益性社区参与，促进老年人老有所为、老有所适。

Abstract: Based on the 2023 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS) data, this paper empirically analyzes the impact of internet use on the social adaptation of the elderly using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), instrumental variable method, and Propensity Score Matching (PSM). The study finds that internet use significantly improves the social adaptation level of the elderly. This conclusion remains robust after addressing endogeneity bias and conducting robustness checks. Mechanism analysis reveals that non-profit community participation masks part of the positive effect of internet use on social adaptation. Further investigation shows a nonlinear U-shaped relationship between non-profit community participation and the social adaptation of the elderly: participation promotes social adaptation only when it reaches a certain threshold; otherwise, it has a negative effect. Therefore, efforts should be made to vigorously promote and popularize internet use among the elderly, guide and optimize their non-profit community participation, and facilitate aging and better social adaptation.