Check out social media statistics: websites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are dominated by teens and young adults. While they are the major users, these websites can also be helpful to the elderly.
In its website, the Ages 2.0 Project "aims to determine how new technologies, particularly the Internet and social networks, can help to foster communication and social inclusion of the elderly, and to evaluate the effects on their health and well-being." It is being carried out by a team of researchers from University of Exeter.
A study covered two places located in the United Kingdom and Italy, whose residents are known for their long life span.
For the study, which lasted for about 2 years, more than 115 elderly participated, in which a number of them were exposed to social media. They were provided their own Internet connection and were trained in how to use the websites aside; they also received regular elderly care. The control group, meanwhile, received only elderly care.
Over the period, the researchers discovered that those who were connected online through social media felt less lonely as they no longer felt isolated. They reached out to friends, family, and relatives who may be living in other parts of the world. They also connected to people who shared the same interests as them.
The researchers explained that this improvement was expected as humans are really social animals or we seem to function better when we are connected with others.
But the positive effects of social media went beyond their feeling of belongingness or connectedness. When made to undergo a series of tests, those who learned social media scored higher in cognition. They also described themselves to be physically healthier. Meanwhile, those who belonged to the other group experienced a gradual but steady decline of their health.
By 2060, the aging population in Europe may increase to more than 25%.