Young Volunteers Help 161 Million Senior Netizens Go Digital

China now has 161 million internet users aged 60 and above. Behind this number? Young people teaching their elders to swipe, scan, and stay safe online. 

Zhang Jiaxin founded "Sunset Rejuvenation" in 2011—a volunteer group that's trained over 100,000 college students to help seniors use smartphones for hospital appointments and ride-hailing.

Experts say this is also about market potential: China's silver economy is already worth 7 trillion yuan. As one policymaker put it: "Bridging the digital gap isn't just kindness—it's smart economics."

Photo by China Youth Daily

By Li Yue, Liu Guanyi(intern), Li Xiang/China Youth Daily