Digital resources and parental mediation parallelly mediate the impact of SES on early digital literacy among Chinese preschoolers

Digital literacy development begins in early childhood and contributes to a widening digital divide. The present study examines the complex interplay between family socioeconomic status (SES), home digital resources (HDR), parental mediation (PM), and early digital literacy development in young children. A survey titled Home Digital Practice Survey (HDPS) was responded to by 1,876 Chinese parents of preschoolers (M-age = 4.28 years, SD = 0.98, 48.8% girls). Results, derived from both correlation analysis and structural equation modeling, established that (1) there was a significant correlation between family SES and early digital literacy in children (beta = .102, p < .01), and (2) HDR (beta = 0.285, p < .001) and PM (beta = 0.290, p < .001) served as simultaneous mediators linking family SES and early digital literacy. The findings are discussed as relevant to minimizing the digital divide and enhancing children's digital literacy.