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The effect of internet usage on perceptions of social fairness: Evidence from rural China

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  • Zhu, Zhongkun
  • Ma, Wanglin
  • Sousa-Poza, Alfonso
  • Leng, Chenxin

Abstract

Using Chinese Social Survey data for 6205 geographically distributed rural households, this paper assesses the impact of Internet usage on social fairness perceptions (SFPs) among Chinese farmers. To address the potential selection bias associated with voluntary Internet usage, the analysis employs an endogenous ordered probit model whose results suggest that, in general, Internet usage has a statistically significant and negative impact on farmer SFPs. Nonetheless, an additional disaggregated analysis reveals that this impact is heterogeneous among different age groups and geographic regions, as well as between male and female household heads.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhu, Zhongkun & Ma, Wanglin & Sousa-Poza, Alfonso & Leng, Chenxin, 2020. "The effect of internet usage on perceptions of social fairness: Evidence from rural China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:chieco:v:62:y:2020:i:c:s1043951x2030105x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2020.101508
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    Cited by:

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    2. Puneet Vatsa & Junpeng Li & Phong Quoc Luu & Julio Cesar Botero‐R, 2023. "Internet use and consumption diversity: Evidence from rural China," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(3), pages 1287-1308, August.
    3. Yi Cui & Thomas Glauben & Wei Si & Qiran Zhao, 2023. "The effect of Internet usage on dietary quality: Evidence from rural China," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(S1), pages 1478-1494, December.
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    5. Yang, Wei & Vatsa, Puneet & Ma, Wanglin & Zheng, Hongyun, 2023. "Does mobile payment adoption really increase online shopping expenditure in China: A gender-differential analysis," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 99-110.
    6. Wanglin Ma & Puneet Vatsa & Hongyun Zheng & Emmanuel Donkor & Victor Owusu, 2023. "Does Adoption of Information and Communication Technology Reduce Objective and Subjective Well-Being Inequality? Evidence from China," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 169(1), pages 55-77, September.
    7. Hongyun Zheng & Wanglin Ma & Junpeng Li & Julio Botero, 2023. "Relationship between Internet Use and Negative Affect," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(4), pages 1693-1713, August.
    8. Xiaofan Zuo & Zhisheng Hong, 2022. "The Impact of Internet Use on Perception of the Poor–Rich Gap: Empirical Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-18, March.
    9. Hongyun Zheng & Wanglin Ma, 2022. "Scan the QR Code of Happiness: Can Mobile Payment Adoption Make People Happier?," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(4), pages 2299-2310, August.
    10. Zhongkun Zhu & Wanglin Ma & Chenxin Leng, 2022. "ICT Adoption, Individual Income and Psychological Health of Rural Farmers in China," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(1), pages 71-91, February.
    11. Cui, Yi & Zhao, Qiran & Glauben, Thomas & Si, Wei, 2024. "The impact of Internet access on household dietary quality: Evidence from rural China," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 23(2), pages 374-383.
    12. Zheng, Hongyun & Ma, Wanglin & Wang, Fang & Li, Gucheng, 2021. "Does internet use improve technical efficiency of banana production in China? Evidence from a selectivity-corrected analysis," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    13. Jiaping Zhang & Xiaomei Gong & Zhongkun Zhu & Zhenyu Zhang, 2023. "Trust cost of environmental risk to government: the impact of Internet use," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(6), pages 5363-5392, June.
    14. Wanglin Ma & Huanguang Qiu & Dil Bahadur Rahut, 2023. "Rural development in the digital age: Does information and communication technology adoption contribute to credit access and income growth in rural China?," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(3), pages 1421-1444, August.
    15. Liang, Wanqi & Li, Wenying, 2023. "Impact of internet usage on the subjective well-being of urban and rural households: Evidence from Vietnam," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(3).
    16. Ren, Ting & Liu, Xin & Ding, Jinqiong, 2023. "Intergenerational dynamics of digital transformation in family firms," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Internet usage; Social fairness perceptions (SFPs); Endogenous ordered probit model; Rural China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • F63 - International Economics - - Economic Impacts of Globalization - - - Economic Development
    • L86 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Information and Internet Services; Computer Software
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being

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