Differential Impacts of Digital Learning Resources on Adolescents’ Educational Expectations: A Family Socioeconomic Status Perspective

Abstract

Digital learning resources exert profound influences on adolescents’ educational expectations. Existing studies mainly focus on objective academic outcomes, while few explore their stratified effects on educational expectations. Based on the 2022 CFPS data, this paper investigates the relationship between digital learning resources and adolescents’ educational expectations, as well as the heterogeneity of family socioeconomic status (SES). The results indicate that digital learning resources cannot raise educational expectations directly and only exert indirect effects through academic performance; family socioeconomic status positively predicts educational expectations. The linear moderation effect is insignificant, yet subgroup regression verifies a class threshold: digital learning resources significantly promote educational expectations only among adolescents with high SES, confirming the digital Matthew effect. Simply popularizing digital resources tends to widen educational stratification. To advance educational equity, supporting services for disadvantaged families should be enhanced.