Why does digital literacy matter? a longitudinal investigation of its temporal impact on children’s developmental outcomes

Limited research has explored the mechanisms among digital literacy, digital exclusion, internet altruistic behavior, and psychological well-being among children. This study examined the potential mediation effect of digital exclusion on the pathways from digital literacy to internet altruistic behavior and psychological well-being among Chinese children, using a two-wave longitudinal design. The participants were 759 children, with 377 males and 382 females recruited from schools in Jilin Province, mainland China. The half-longitudinal mediation model was employed in R 4.4.3. The results found that children with low levels of digital literacy are more likely to experience digital exclusion, thereby leading to poor psychological well-being rather than internet altruistic behavior. Additionally, the negative effect of digital exclusion on psychological well-being was significant in urban children, instead in rural children. The results not only contribute to the theoretical framework on how digital literacy is linked to children’s psychological well-being through digital exclusion, but also provide empirical evidence for the specific implementation of interventions to promote children’s well-being in the digital world.