Research on Farmers’ Participation in Practices and Its Influencing Factors in Digital Village Construction Based on Survey Data from Suzhou City

The extent of farmers’ participation in digital village construction directly affects the digital transformation process of rural revitalization. Based on system synergy theory and utility theory, this study constructs an evaluation framework to assess farmers’ participation in digital village construction. Using data from 318 valid questionnaires collected in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, we empirically measure the current overall participation level and sub-dimension levels of farmers in digital village construction, and explore the impacts of individual characteristics, family background, technological perceptions, and village environments on their participation. The results show that farmers in Suzhou demonstrate a moderate overall participation level in digital village construction, with relatively higher engagement in digital lifestyle domains but lower involvement in digital governance. Further analysis reveals that the factors including age, educational attainment, status as new agricultural business entities, whether relatives/friends serve as village cadres, perceived technological usefulness, perceived ease of use, availability of digital skills training in villages, and the proportion of young grassroots cadres significantly influence farmers’ participation across different dimensions. Accordingly, this study proposes some countermeasures to enhance farmers’ practical participation through strengthening digital infrastructure, simplifying digital systems, reinforcing publicity and training programs, and improving digital literacy among village cadres.