Xianna Hong , Qiuhua Chen , Danlu Man , Chenyong Shi , Nan Wang
{"title":"The impact of digitalization on the rich and the poor: Digital divide or digital inclusion?","authors":"Xianna Hong , Qiuhua Chen , Danlu Man , Chenyong Shi , Nan Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102634","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>With the spread of digitization and regional economic imbalances brought about by industrial structure transformation, the income gap between urban and rural areas in China is increasing and the gap between rich and poor should be considered. Using county-level panel data from 2015 to 2019 in China, this paper first analyzes the overall impact of digital development on the wealth gap and the impact for different sub-points of the sample from the direct effect perspective. Then, it explores the intrinsic mechanism of digital development in migrating the wealth gap from the indirect effect perspective, focusing on industrial structure and consumer spending. The results of the study show that the level of digital development is negatively correlated with the rich-poor gap. When digital development is at a high level, it suppresses the rich-poor gap, and the suppression effect gradually increases. In addition, the impact of digital development on wealth gap is not limited to direct effects but is also manifested indirectly through changes in industrial structure and consumer spending. Within this context, industry structure upgrading, guided by both market and government forces, plays a positive role in narrowing the wealth gap as modifiable mediating variables. Government-led upgrading in industrial structure demonstrates a more comprehensive moderating effect on addressing wealth disparities within the context of digitalization.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":47979,"journal":{"name":"Technology in Society","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":10.1000,"publicationDate":"2024-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Technology in Society","FirstCategoryId":"90","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160791X24001829","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"SOCIAL ISSUES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
With the spread of digitization and regional economic imbalances brought about by industrial structure transformation, the income gap between urban and rural areas in China is increasing and the gap between rich and poor should be considered. Using county-level panel data from 2015 to 2019 in China, this paper first analyzes the overall impact of digital development on the wealth gap and the impact for different sub-points of the sample from the direct effect perspective. Then, it explores the intrinsic mechanism of digital development in migrating the wealth gap from the indirect effect perspective, focusing on industrial structure and consumer spending. The results of the study show that the level of digital development is negatively correlated with the rich-poor gap. When digital development is at a high level, it suppresses the rich-poor gap, and the suppression effect gradually increases. In addition, the impact of digital development on wealth gap is not limited to direct effects but is also manifested indirectly through changes in industrial structure and consumer spending. Within this context, industry structure upgrading, guided by both market and government forces, plays a positive role in narrowing the wealth gap as modifiable mediating variables. Government-led upgrading in industrial structure demonstrates a more comprehensive moderating effect on addressing wealth disparities within the context of digitalization.
期刊介绍:
Technology in Society is a global journal dedicated to fostering discourse at the crossroads of technological change and the social, economic, business, and philosophical transformation of our world. The journal aims to provide scholarly contributions that empower decision-makers to thoughtfully and intentionally navigate the decisions shaping this dynamic landscape. A common thread across these fields is the role of technology in society, influencing economic, political, and cultural dynamics. Scholarly work in Technology in Society delves into the social forces shaping technological decisions and the societal choices regarding technology use. This encompasses scholarly and theoretical approaches (history and philosophy of science and technology, technology forecasting, economic growth, and policy, ethics), applied approaches (business innovation, technology management, legal and engineering), and developmental perspectives (technology transfer, technology assessment, and economic development). Detailed information about the journal's aims and scope on specific topics can be found in Technology in Society Briefings, accessible via our Special Issues and Article Collections.