Social Isolation In Older Adults: A Literature Review

Working with older adults for over 30 years has given me a firsthand perspective on the challenges faced in later life. The multitude of losses experienced, including the death of loved ones, retirement, reduced finances, and physical or cognitive decline, can create a particular vulnerability to social isolation. The recent advent of social media has brought the potential to improve emotional well-being by connecting people. While a number of studies have explored the relationship between the Internet and quality of life among older adults, few have explicitly looked at social engagement technologies and effects on emotional health. This specific focus is a keen research interest of mine and I believe doctoral study is necessary to achieve

My research interest in the effects of social networking usage on social isolation in older adults has XXXXX. Research by Boz and Karatas (2015) identified a beginning body of research on the impact of Internet use on quality of life of older adults. In my preliminary literature exploration, however, I found that most of these studies focus on effects of Internet use, broadly defined, which may or may not include social media sites such as Facebook, Google +, and the like. Subjects who indicate that they use the Internet may visit websites that do not involve engagement with others. Although research by Lelkes (2012) and the majority of other findings from the past two decades do demonstrate a positive relationship between Internet use and quality of life, I would like to focus specifically on the use of the Internet’s social media, to compare whether it has an even greater (or lesser) impact on social isolation than current research suggests. I would also like to consider expanding my research to include findings of time spent engaged with others using mobile technology applications since smartphones and tablets are increasingly used by older adults. I see examples of this in my current employment, where I established an organization Facebook page and a computer and Internet instruction program. Whether it’s the 92-year old once not knowing how to power on her tablet, but now engaging on Facebook with her out-of-town great-grandchildren or the 85-year old participant who, after 15 years of no contact, now makes regular video calls to her sister in Europe, I am seeing happier people in my daily