Digital technologies are advancing rapidly, leading to significant disparities in socioeconomic outcomes worldwide (Lythreatis et al., 2022; Riggins and Dewan, 2005; Vassilakopoulou and Hustad, 2023; Shao et al., 2025; Wu et al., 2024; Dai and Azhar, 2024; Dai, 2025). Access to and effective use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) are essential for social inclusion, especially for marginalized populations (Jiao et al., 2024; Dong, 2024; Dey, 2022; Mishi and Anakpo, 2022). The digital divide encompasses access to technology and skills such as technological proficiency and the ability to harness digital tools for progress (Lyu et al., 2025; Van Dijk, 2017; Fu et al., 2024; Li et al., 2024).

The digital landscape highlights the relationship between technological access and economic disadvantage (Zhang et al., 2024; Wang et al., 2024; Lupač, 2018; Selwyn and Facer, 2013). This relationship is crucial for understanding relative poverty, defined by Townsend (1962), as living standards substantially below societal norms. The intersection of digital capabilities and economic prosperity shapes social advancement and career opportunities (Huang et al., 2024).

Existing studies suggest that technological disparities may exacerbate economic gaps (Robinson et al., 2015; Xie et al., 2025; Du et al., 2024; Zhang et al., 2024), but the specific pathways and factors involved are not well understood. This study examines the impact of the digital divide on family poverty by focusing on two moderating factors: educational achievement and household dependency burden.

Educational background has a significant influence on a person’s ability to utilize and benefit from digital resources (Wei and Hindman, 2011). We aim to understand how education can mitigate the economic effects of digital exclusion. Family composition, particularly the ratio of dependents to working-age members, significantly impacts household economic dynamics. This dependency burden influences how digital access impacts economic outcomes (Grimm et al., 2016).

This study utilizes data from the 2018 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), providing detailed measurements of digital access and usage patterns. This method enables a comprehensive examination of digital inequalities in China and their economic implications. The research has three objectives: (1) to examine the direct link between digital divide and family poverty (hereinafter “digital divide–poverty link”), (2) to analyze the moderating influence of education, and (3) to evaluate how the dependency burden shapes this relationship.

This study contributes to research on digital inequality by demonstrating how technological gaps impact economic outcomes. The findings offer policymakers insights into closing digital gaps and addressing poverty in rapidly digitizing developing economies. Our research extends beyond viewing the digital divide as merely a technological issue; it recognizes it as a symptom of broader social and economic inequalities.

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