Peer-reviewed article
Parent–Child Online Interaction and the Well‐Being of Children in Rural China: The Effects of Family Social Capital and Parental Migration
Qiushi Zhou, Mengtong Chen, Jiachen Liang, Qiqi Chen, Hongduo Li ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined how parent-child online interactions through the internet and mobile phones affect the well-being of secondary school students in rural China. The research involved 1,384 teenagers and found that online interactions with parents were associated with better child well-being by strengthening family relationships and social capital. The study also looked at whether parental migration affected these relationships, finding that online communication benefits children whether or not their parents have migrated for work.
Key points
- Parent-child online interactions were positively associated with child well-being across all parental migration patterns
- Family social capital was identified as a mechanism linking online interactions to improved child well-being
- No significant difference was found between non-left-behind children and children with one migrated parent in the relationship between online interaction and well-being
- The study suggests internet and mobile device use can be beneficial for children in disadvantaged situations
Limitations
The study is cross-sectional and cannot establish causation between online interactions and well-being. The research focuses only on secondary school students in rural China, so findings may not apply to younger children or other contexts.
Abstract
ABSTRACT Existing empirical evidence supports the close relationships between parent–child interactions and child well‐being outcomes. Internet and mobile phone–mediated communication has facilitated interaction between children and their family members, which can be related to increased family social capital for the welfare of children. The objectives of the present study were to examine the associations between parental–child online interactions, family social capital and child well‐being in rural China and to investigate the moderating role of parental migration in these associations. A sample of 1384 secondary school students (47.6% girls, mean age = 14.14 years) participated in the survey and answered questions about their interaction with parents, family structure and relationships and well‐being. A series of regression analyses showed that parent–child online interactions were positively associated with child well‐being by increasing children's family social capital at three parental migration patterns. Furthermore, there is no significant difference in the moderating mediating effect between non–left‐behind children and children whose one parent migrated. The findings provide evidence for the potential beneficial effects of parent–child online interactions on child well‐being and have implications for policies and practices that support the use of the Internet and mobile devices among children living in disadvantaged situations.