Older Adults Use Social Media to Compensate for Fewer In-Person Interactions, Study Says

A study published in Heliyon found older adults are resorting to social media when faced with a lack of in-person interactions, according to the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). This is the first research to employ a uses and gratifications framework to analyze Facebook and Instagram use among people 50 and older. The investigators discovered that older adults used Facebook about four times more than they did Instagram. UAH Professor Pavica Sheldon said most older users also tend to adopt social media platforms later than younger users. Study subjects were divided into baby boomers (age 50-74) and traditionalists (age 75 plus), and both groups tended to name diversion and entertainment as the reasons they used Facebook. Social activity, travel, and real-world leisure activities were positive predictors of using Instagram for relationship monitoring, documentation, and self-promotion. Higher life satisfaction scores led to less use of Facebook and Instagram to mitigate loneliness or fulfill the need for companionship among both boomers and traditionalists.