The digital dividend of the views on aging: how digital engagement influences subjective aging in Chinese older adults

Background: Against the social backdrop of the simultaneous deepening of population aging and digital transformation, older adults' subjective experience and evaluation of their own aging process have increasingly become core psychological elements influencing their physical and mental health as well as social integration. Methods: A nationally representative sample of older adults aged 60 and over from 3 waves (collected in 2018, 2020, and 2023) of The China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey was used in the analysis. Adopted as two-dimensional measures of Views on Aging (VoA) were subjective age and perceived old age, with their age trajectories among older adults and the cohort differences driven by digital engagement systematically examined via hierarchical growth curve models, and robustness checks conducted through propensity score matching. Results: Findings show that VoA of older adults become increasingly positive with age, with significant generational differentiation; digital engagement effectively boosts the positivity of their VoA (reflected in lower subjective age and higher perceived old age), while this positive effect diminishes marginally with age and displays distinct cohort differences. Conclusion: This study provides longitudinal empirical evidence on the reshaping effects of digital technologies on older adults' VoA, and theoretical support for promoting active aging and building an age-friendly environment in the digital society.