scholarly journals Social Media and its Impact on Health-Related Outcomes Among Older Adults in Singapore: Qualitative Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madeline Han ◽  
Xin Yi Tan ◽  
Rachael Lee ◽  
Jeong Kyu Lee ◽  
Rathi Mahendran
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Interpretative Approach ◽  
Improve Health

BACKGROUND The world-wide spread of digitalization has led to the harnessing of technology to improve health outcomes. Attention to older adults social needs via social media is one way of promoting healthy aging. While 56% of older adults are smartphone users, little is known about their usage patterns of social media. OBJECTIVE This exploratory study aimed to (1) determine the social media experiences of older adults in Singapore, and (2) understand their perceptions of its impact on health-related outcomes. METHODS The study utilized a qualitative research design with an interpretative approach. Using maximum variation purposive sampling, normal aging older adults (N=16), aged between 60 to 80, and experienced in the use of internet-enabled technology were recruited from an existing community study. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted. Employing a thematic analysis, interviews were transcribed in verbatim, and analyzed for codes inductively. RESULTS The following themes and subthemes were identified as key moderators of older adults’ social media experiences: (1) Personal attitudes: participants were encouraged to use social media due to the increased accessibility which enabled the ease of contact, but perceptions that the quality of interactions was compromised and its associated risks reduced their usage; (2) Social influences: the desire to bond with co-users, and the availability of support increased usage. Additionally, social media usage was perceived to positively impact health through its abilities to keep older adults cognitively engaged, improve health communication, and increase social connectedness. However, opinions remained mixed on older adults’ vulnerability to social media addiction. CONCLUSIONS Personal and social contexts determine older adults’ social media usage. The study’s findings provide practical insights on how social media can be deployed to improve health-related outcomes in older adults.

scholarly journals Impact of Social Media on Health-Related Outcomes Among Older Adults in Singapore: Qualitative Study

JMIR Aging ◽  
10.2196/23826 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. e23826
Author(s):  
Madeline Han ◽  
Xin Yi Tan ◽  
Rachael Lee ◽  
Jeong Kyu Lee ◽  
Rathi Mahendran
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Interpretative Approach ◽  
Improve Health

Background The worldwide spread of digitalization has led to the harnessing of technology to improve health outcomes. Paying attention to older adults’ social needs via social media is one way to promote healthy aging. Although 56% of older adults are smartphone users, little is known about their use patterns of social media. Objective This exploratory study aims to determine the experiences of social media apps’ use among older adults in Singapore and understand their perceptions of its impact on health-related outcomes. Methods This study used a qualitative research design with an interpretative approach. Using maximum variation purposive sampling, normal aging older adults (N=16) who were aged between 60 and 80 years and experienced in the use of internet-enabled technology were recruited from an existing community study. Semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted. Employing a thematic analysis, interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed for codes inductively. Results The following themes and subthemes were identified as key moderators of older adults’ experiences on social media apps: (1) personal attitudes: participants were encouraged to use social media due to the increased accessibility, which enabled the ease of contact, but perceptions that the quality of interactions was compromised and its associated risks reduced their use; and (2) social influences: the desire to bond with co-users and the availability of support increased use. In addition, use of social media apps was perceived to positively impact health through its ability to keep older adults cognitively engaged, improve health communication, and increase social connectedness. However, opinions remained mixed on older adults’ vulnerability to social media addiction. Conclusions Personal and social contexts determine older adults’ social media use. This study’s findings provide practical insights into how social media can be deployed to improve health-related outcomes in older adults.

scholarly journals Improving Attitudes to Volunteering Among Older Adults: A Randomized Trial Approach

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 51-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle I. Jongenelis ◽  
Ben Jackson ◽  
Jeni Warburton ◽  
Robert U. Newton ◽  
Simone Pettigrew
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Volunteer Work ◽  
Group Design ◽  
Perceptions And Attitudes ◽  
Parallel Group Design ◽  
Parallel Group ◽  
Negative Perceptions

Promoting engagement in formal volunteering represents a potential means of facilitating healthy aging. Given reluctance to participate in volunteering has been partially attributed to negative perceptions of various aspects of this activity, this study assessed whether trialing volunteering can improve perceptions among older people. Using a parallel-group design, Australians aged 60+ years ( n = 445) were randomly assigned to one of two conditions, one in which they were encouraged to trial volunteering and one in which they were asked to continue their usual activities. Perceptions and attitudes among those in the volunteering condition became significantly more favorable over 6 months relative to those in the control condition, with this change predicted by several aspects of the volunteering experience (e.g., acquisition of skills, increased social connectedness). Providing access to roles that cater to the learning and social needs of older adults appears to be important for improving attitudes toward engaging in volunteer work.

scholarly journals Age Differences in the Relationship Between Daily Social Media Usage and Affect

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 410-410
Author(s):  
Xin Yao Lin ◽  
Margie Lachman
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Daily Time

Abstract Social media platforms allow people to connect and share content online (e.g., Facebook, Twitter). Although older adults are becoming more frequent users of social media, there continue to be mixed views on whether social media positively or negatively impacts well-being. Past studies have mainly focused on cross-sectional analyses for individual differences. However, both the time spent on social media and one’s affect can fluctuate on a daily basis. Thus, it is important to understand how the relationship between daily social media usage and affect varies within individuals from day to day. The current study adds to the literature by examining whether daily variations in time spent with social media are related to daily positive and negative affect and whether there are age differences in these relationships. The current study used an eight-day daily diary from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) Refresher dataset for 782 participants (ages 25-75). Multilevel modeling results revealed that age moderated the relationship between daily time spent on social media and negative affect: for younger adults, on days when they spent more time on social media, they had more negative affect. For older adults, on days when they spent more time on social media, they had less negative affect. Surprisingly, daily time spent on social media was not related to daily positive affect, nor did this relationship differ by age. Implications for future research are discussed with a focus on how social media usage can contribute to daily well-being for adults of different ages.

Differences in Health-Related Social Media Usage by Organizations and Individuals

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 812-820
Author(s):  
Jisoo Ahn ◽  
Yongwoog Andrew Jeon ◽  
Dhiraj Murthy
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Health Related

A Desire for Social Media Is Associated With a Desire for Solitary but Not Social Activities

2017 ◽  
Vol 121 (6) ◽  
pp. 1120-1130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Hill ◽  
Zane Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
Perceptual Judgment ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Displacement Theory ◽  
The Relationship

While social media is an aspect of life for many, it brings to light the lack of interpersonal connection when browsing activity occurs. The displacement theory suggests that the quality of one’s offline interactions is affected by how much time an individual allots to those exchanges. Depending on the amount of time spent online, interpersonal connections may suffer and lead to negative psychological consequences. Our study aimed to explore the relationship between the desirability of social media and socialization preferences through a cue-based perceptual judgment task where participants ( N = 136) rated 40 gray-scale images in terms of their desirability. The image categories included social media icons, singular scenes depicting an isolated activity, social scenes representing an interactive activity, and traffic signs as the control. We also included questionnaires to assess depressiveness and aspects of social media usage. Our findings suggest that the immediate desire for social media is potentially linked to one’s desire for social isolation as represented by the singular scene category, the intensity of participant’s reported daily usage, and the extent to which social media is perceived to impact real social life. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the initial desirability judgment of social media and its association with other factors. Further research is needed to distinguish the variability in users’ aim of using social media and if that is related to one’s perceived feelings of social connectedness and solitude.

scholarly journals INTERNET USE AND MENTAL HEALTH IN AFRICA AND INDIA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wesley Monroe Shrum ◽  
Jonathan Teye Yevuyibor ◽  
Shriya Thakkar
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Network Size ◽  
Personal Networks ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Social Network Size ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Internet And Social Media

Prior research has shown that mental health in urban slums is associated with the a share number of older individuals in personal networks. This presentation will examine the extent to which that association is mediated through Internet and social media use. We conducted face to face interviews with residents (minimum 18 years) in two high density, low income areas of Accra (West Africa) and Trivandrum (Kerala, India), where local teams have conducted repeated studies of personal networks since 1994. Our preliminary results show that mobile phones are primary way in which respondents communicate with members of their core networks. Further preliminary results show that while research in high income areas has generally shown the importance of larger networks for positive mental health, our analysis of urban slums reveals a different pattern. First, there is no general association of larger networks with reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression. Second, one particular group of relationships is strongly associated with depression and anxiety: ties with older individuals. The questions we explore are: (1) To what extent are indicators of mental health related to indicators of Internet and social media usage? (2) To what extent are indicators of mental health related to indicators of social network size and composition? (3) To what extent are indicators of Internet and social media usage related to indicators of indicators of social network size and composition?

scholarly journals Correlates of Social Isolation Among Minority Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 294-295
Author(s):  
Omolola Adepoju ◽  
Daniel Howard ◽  
Kendra Smith ◽  
Luz Herrera ◽  
Daikwon Han ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
African American ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Main Independent Variable ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Socially Isolated ◽  
Community Supports

Abstract Background Over the past year, engagement with older adults has been severely curtailed given the high rates of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality in this population. This study examined the correlates of social isolation among African American and LatinX older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Working with community-based organizations and senior living centers, we administered a survey to older adults 55+, in the Houston metroplex, between 11/2020 and 01/2021 (n=575). The survey assessed COVID-19 prevention behaviors and health-related social needs. Responses to “How often do you feel lonely or isolated from those around you?” were used to create a dichotomous social isolation dependent variable. The main independent variable, family/community support, was based on responses to the validated question "If for any reason you need help with day-to-day activities such as bathing, preparing meals, shopping, managing finances, etc., do you get the help you need?" Multivariate logistic regression adjusting for socioeconomic status, medical conditions, positive COVID test (for self or family), COVID-19 prevention behaviors, and emergency preparedness levels was used. Results Limited family/community support was strongly associated with social isolation (OR=6.2; p<0.01), as was having any chronic condition (OR=2.9, p=0.02). Females and seniors who reported daily social distancing were more likely to report being socially isolated (OR=2.4, p=0.04; OR=1.09; p=0.09, respectively). Of all chronic conditions examined, diabetes was the single strongest predictor of social isolation (OR=2.49, p=0.02). Conclusion Being female, having diabetes and limited family/community supports are associated with COVID-19-induced social isolation in African American and Latinx communities.

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