Welcome
I received my Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Delaware in 2026. My research lies in applied microeconomics, with a focus on education, human capital, digital regulation, and family decision-making. Much of my work studies how policy and technological change reshape behavior, markets, and welfare, particularly in China.
Research Fields
Fields: Applied Microeconomics; Economics of Education; Development Economics; Labor Economics; Family Economics.
Additional areas: Digital Economy; Technology Policy; Platform Economics and Regulation.
Research interests: Education policy, schooling choice, human capital formation, and educational equity; digital regulation and adolescent behavior; household decision-making, gender, and social norms; generative AI and digital technology.
Publication
Restricting Video Games in China: Effects on Time Use, Educational Achievement, and Health Journal of Development Economics, 182, 103812 (2026)
China’s 2021 regulation virtually eliminated weekday online gaming for minors. Using nationally representative survey data in a difference-in-differences design, I find sharp declines in gaming engagement and Internet use but no robust short-run improvements in academic performance or health outcomes. [Full abstract]
References
Jeremy Tobacman (Chair), George R. Parsons, Emily L. Battaglia, Desmond J. Toohey
Full contact details available on the CV page.
Please feel free to contact me at zhejianw@udel.edu.