Isolation From Technology

Technology is described as the use of science in an industry, and as the years have gone by and as it has improved, one thing remains the same, technology has brought us closer together. Unfortunately, in this world, there are people who feel isolated and lonely. Isolation is defined as separation from others, and elderly people, as they age, are more likely to feel a sense of isolation to the point where it can affect their health and perhaps even their lives. Even though technology is often critiqued as being isolating, it is beneficial for elderly people and allows them to feel less isolated and much more connected with the world.
People will argue that isolation is not that severe, especially isolation from technology since many developing

One example of this is “telephone befriending … an effective low level method to decrease loneliness among older people”, which was looked at by Mima Cattan, Nicola Kime and Ann-Marie Bagnall (198). This method of technology “helped older people to gain confidence, re-engage with the community and become socially active again” (Cattan, Kime and Bagnall 198). Another example of the advanced use of technology is through the use of the CareTV. “CareTV is a technological solution, which allows users to interact with carers, family and friends from their home” (Van Der Heide, Loek A., et al. 283). CareTV was used on the elderly patients from “Proteion Thuis” for a year and the results showed that “feelings of loneliness significantly decreased within one year” (Van Der Heide, Loek A., et al. 283). CareTV was advantageous because it allowed the elderly to become more social and feel less isolated. The elderly were able to associate with not only their families but also the workers similar to how the telephone service was able to connect the elderly as well. In these studies, both technological methods were used for only a short period of time but were able to help the elderly feel less isolated, therefore technology is beneficial to the elderly because it allows them to form a connection with those close by and far

But in actuality, technology can be a major benefit to those that feel isolation such as the elderly. Elderly people often feel social isolation and it can lead to their deteriorating health or worse prospects for their future. That is why technology is beneficial: it has the power to help the elderly through and out of isolation through new forms of communication than that of traditional methods. So, although isolation is a problem, technology is a