Mediating Role of Fertility Motivation in the Impact of Internet Use on Fertility Intentions
Analysis of the China Family Panel Studies(CFPS)data reveals that fertility motivations me-diate the impact of internet use on fertility intentions.This mediating role operates in two directions.First,internet use diminishes family-oriented fertility motivations,including family legacy and economic utility motivation,suppressing fertility intentions.Second,internet use enhances individual-oriented fertility moti-vations,particularly emotion-driven motivation,promoting fertility intentions.Overall,the inhibiting role played by fertility motivation is more pronounced in the influence of internet use on fertility intentions.The mediating effect accounts for 11.251%of the total effect.Further,the impact of internet use on fertility motivation differs across cohorts,genders,urban-rural residences,and education levels.The impacts of different online behaviors on fertility motivation are also different.Exploring the mediating role of fertility motivation contributes to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms through which internet use influences fertility intentions,offering novel insights for addressing low fertility rates in the internet era.
Fertility MotivationFertility IntentionsInternet Use