Effects of Digital Media Use on Young People’s Satisfaction with Marriage and Childbearing Support Policies: The Mediating Role of Policy Awareness

Vollständiger Abstract

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Against the backdrop of digital transformation,digital media have become an important channel through which young people access information on marriage and childbearing policies.How digital media use affects their satisfaction with marriage and childbearing support policies therefore merits attention.Drawing on survey data from 639 young people aged 20-35 in Shaanxi Province,this study examines the effects of digital media use on satisfaction with marriage and childbearing support policies and the mediating role of policy awareness.The results show that,first,young people in Shaanxi report a moderately high level of overall satisfaction with existing marriage and childbearing support policies, although there remains room for improvement.Satisfaction is relatively high with employment protection policies, whereas satisfaction with housing support and support for families with multiple children remains comparatively low. Second,digital media use is widespread among young people.AI tools show relatively high adoption but low-frequency use,while social media remain the primary channel for obtaining relevant information.Third,regression and mediation analyses show that both AI tool use and social media use significantly enhance young people’s awareness of marriage and childbearing support policies,and greater policy awareness is in turn associated with higher policy satisfaction. Further analysis shows that policy awareness mediates the effects of both forms of digital media use on policy satisfaction.The effect of AI tool use is partially mediated by policy awareness,whereas social media use affects policy satisfaction primarily through policy awareness.Compared with social media,AI tool use has stronger total and indirect effects,suggesting an advantage in facilitating policy understanding and the translation of policy information into awareness.These findings provide a theoretical basis and practical reference for improving the communication of marriage and childbearing support policies and enhancing young people’s policy awareness and satisfaction in the digital-intelligence era.