Inclusive informatization ecology: How does regional education informatization shape individual digital literacy

Abstract

Regional educational informatization (REI) is a key pathway to advancing educational equity and narrowing the digital divide, yet its actual impact on individual digital literacy lacks systematic empirical examination. This study empirically analyzes the impact of REI on digital literacy using quantitative regression approaches. Results show that REI significantly enhances individual digital literacy, with a more pronounced effect on digital acquisition and usage while exerting limited influence on digital awareness. Five core transmission mechanisms are identified: digital endowment empowerment, digital consumption driving, social capital accumulation, learning behavior promotion, and social interaction diffusion. Notably, REI exhibits a “disadvantaged support” effect, generating stronger positive impacts on individuals with lower educational attainment, women, and residents in economically, digitally or educationally underdeveloped regions, which aligns with the principles of educational equity and inclusiveness. Conversely, REI has a negative impact on residents in digitally advanced areas and fails to address the “digital outreach blind spots” faced by the elderly group, indicating the need to further optimize the educational informatization ecosystem for greater inclusiveness and age-friendliness. These findings deepen the understanding of REI's role in fostering digital literacy, provide empirical evidence for research on public education equity and educational ecology, and offer important theoretical and practical insights for optimizing REI development strategies and narrowing the digital literacy gap, particularly for digitally disadvantaged groups.