Older-aged frequent internet users at greater risk for social isolation, not loneliness
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Frequent internet use appeared associated with increased risk for social isolation among older adults, according to study results published in Ageing & Society.
“Social isolation and loneliness are associated with adverse health outcomes among older adults in the academic literature,” Stephanie Stockwell, PhD student at Anglia Ruskin University’s Positive Ageing Research Institute in the U.K., told Healio Psychiatry. “Although there are studies available that investigate interventions using technology to combat social isolation and loneliness in older adults, there was limited up-to-date information investigating associations between older adults’ current, ‘organic’ use of technology in relation to their loneliness and social isolation.”
To address this research gap, Stockwell and colleagues sought to explore associations between social isolation/loneliness and internet/email use among a large sample of older English adults. The investigators analyzed data of 4,492 men and women aged 50 years or older who participated in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing Wave 8. They used binomial logistic regression to evaluate relevant cross-sectional associations.
Results showed that older adults reported internet/email use as follows:
- 69.3% every day;
- 8.5% once a week;
- 2.6% once a month;
- 0.7% once every 3 months;
- 1.5% less than every 3 months; and
- 17.4% never.
Stockwell and colleagues observed no significant association between loneliness and internet/email use; however, they found nonlinear associations for social isolation. Those who used the internet/email either once a week (OR = 0.6; 95% CI, 0.49-0.72) or once a month (OR = 0.6; 95% CI, 0.45-0.8) were significantly less likely to report social isolation compared with every-day users, whereas those who used the internet/email less than once every 3 months (OR = 2.87; 95% CI, 1.28-6.4) were significantly more likely to be socially isolated compared with every-day users. Those who used the internet/email once every 3 months and those who never used exhibited no difference in social isolation compared with every-day users. The investigators found weak associations between different online activities and loneliness but strong associations with social isolation.
“A large proportion of older adults are engaging with technology, at least once a week if not every day,” Stockwell told Healio Psychiatry. “Therefore, technology could be a useful, additional tool to deliver behavioral interventions for health in older adults at minimal cost to the individual, particularly in harder-to-reach populations such as those who are socially isolated. It is important, however, that technology does not replace all face-to-face contact older adults have, as this may impact the quality of relationships and, thus, feelings of loneliness in older adults. There is also potential that those who are online most frequently and for long durations risk isolating themselves. Therefore, educating older people about balance between their online and offline lives is important.” – by Joe Gramigna
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
Perspective
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Louise C. Hawkley, PhD
With COVID-19, social distancing and stay-at-home orders, we are in the throes of one of the most socially disruptive eras in recent history. Yet, we live in an era of technological advances that permits a range of alternative modes of communicating with others. A frequent concern and assumption is that older adults, who may already be socially isolated, are less likely to be familiar with or use internet-based technologies to connect with others. This study shows that community-dwelling adults aged 50 years and older in the U.K. are frequent internet users, with email being one of the primary online activities. Moreover, among those who accessed the internet, more frequent users were less socially isolated. These are reassuring findings in this time of the novel coronavirus. However, email as a supplement to in-person interactions (as is normally the case) is not the same as email as a replacement to in-person interactions (as is now the case). Additional research is needed to assess how well email helps to prevent or alleviate social isolation and loneliness during social distancing, and whether this effect is equivalent to or independent of other means people use to connect with others, including phone and videoconferencing. The COVID-19 pandemic may be triggering a permanent change in how people use technology to satisfy their social needs.
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