This study explores how the use of information technology (IT) influences the development of cognitive and non-cognitive abilities among primary school students in rural areas of western China. As IT tools become more integrated into daily life, especially in underdeveloped regions, their influence on education has grown significantly. Relying on Heckman’s human capital development theory, we apply Propensity Score Matching combined with a Difference-in-Differences (PSM-DID) approach to analyze two rounds of panel data collected from third and fourth grade students between 2019 and 2020. The analysis suggests that while IT use does not significantly boost cognitive skills, a slight positive trend is observed, likely reflecting the coexistence of both beneficial and adverse effects. In terms of non-cognitive skills, frequent IT use appears to enhance students’ openness and increase their fondness for school and teachers, yet it is also linked to rising levels of self-blame and anxiety. Additional findings show that the effects of IT use are more pronounced among older children, Han Chinese students, and those from households with lower income or lower parental education. These results contribute to a deeper understanding of IT’s role in shaping human capital in rural settings and offer practical implications for policymakers. In particular, they highlight the need to maximize the positive aspects of IT in promoting equity in education while addressing its potential downsides through more customized support for diverse student populations.

Digital literacy is widely promoted as enabling later-life inclusion, but its potential to generate trust-related vulnerabilities remains insufficiently examined, particularly in rapidly ageing societies. Using nationally representative data from the 2022 China Family Panel Studies including 1583 adults aged 60 and above, this study examines whether digital literacy is associated with older adults’ trust in strangers, which is interpreted here as a form of trust vulnerability in low-verifiability interactions. In this study, trust vulnerability is operationalised through respondents’ self-reported trust in strangers, while digital literacy is operationalised through behavioural competences spanning information and data literacy, communication and collaboration, content creation, digital transactions, and problem-solving. OLS regression models with Huber–White robust standard errors are employed. The findings indicate that higher levels of digital literacy are positively associated with stronger trust in strangers, suggesting that competence may heighten older adults’ inclination to trust and increase exposure to digital risks. This association is driven primarily by functional competences, with mobile payment use and problem-solving skills showing the largest and most consistent associations. By contrast, subjective well-being and perceived platform security show no significant mediating roles. The study recommends integrating functional training, trust calibration and risk-recognition education, alongside interpretable and verifiable safeguards that make security more visible to older adults.