| Sumario: | \nCONTRIBUTION TO THE FIELDDigital exclusion among older adults and its relation to mental health represent a global challenge. Depressive symptoms in later life are consistently identified as a negative determinant of internet use. Research highlights the positive influence of grandchildren on older adults’ mental health and digital inclusion. This study investigates the moderating role of grandchild care in the relationship between depressive symptoms and internet use among 48,319 Europeans aged 50+ from 27 countries participating in the SHARE project. Regression analyses reveal that grandchild care moderates this negative relationship; specifically, among those with depressive symptoms, caregivers were 13.7% more likely to use the internet. Overall, these findings highlight that intergenerational relationships with grandchildren may be associated with greater digital engagement among older adults, particularly in the context of depressive symptoms. Highlights the potential contribution of Intergenerational Relationships with grandchildren in promoting digital engagement.Caring for grandchildren appears to mitigate the negative association between depressive symptoms and Internet use.Intergenerational relationships with grandchildren may serve as a protective factor for depression and motivating factor for online activity.Highlights the potential contribution of Intergenerational Relationships with grandchildren in promoting digital engagement.Caring for grandchildren appears to mitigate the negative association between depressive symptoms and Internet use.Intergenerational relationships with grandchildren may serve as a protective factor for depression and motivating factor for online activity.
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