ArticleCyberpsychology, behavior and social networking2016
The Benefits of Social Technology Use Among Older Adults Are Mediated by Reduced Loneliness.
Article in Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 183 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
183 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Association between digital smart device use and depression among older adults: systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC public health · 2026Pooled it
- Reducing Loneliness and Social Isolation of Older Adults Through Voice Assistants: Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Pooled it
- Consumer loneliness: A systematic review and research agenda.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Pooled it
- Gamification for Older Adults: A Systematic Literature Review.The Gerontologist · 2021Pooled it
- Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Digital Technology Interventions to Reduce Loneliness in Older Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2021Pooled it
- Promoting Information Communication Technology Adoption and Acceptance for Aging-in-Place: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society · 2021Trial
- Communication Technology Preferences of Hospitalized and Institutionalized Frail Older Adults During COVID-19 Confinement: Cross-Sectional Survey Study.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2020Trial
- Discontinued Information and Communication Technology Usage among Older Adults in Continuing Care Retirement Communities in the United States.Gerontology · 2018Trial
- Better Together: Technology-Use Gaps and Loneliness in Older Adults.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Digital Exclusion and Sleep Problems in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Multi-Cohort Cross-National Study.Research square · 2026Article
- Artificial Intelligence in Social Health: A Narrative Review of Uses, Advantages, Challenges, and Future Directions.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Differential associations of active and passive digital modalities with health perception biases among older adults.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- Association between social activity participation and rural-urban difference in depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults in China: a Fairlie decomposition analysis.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Internet Skills Scale in a Chinese older adult population.Global health & medicine · 2026Article
- Internet Use and Self-Rated Health Among Older Adults: Scoping Review.Interactive journal of medical research · 2026Review
- The association between internet use and health among rural-to-urban migrants in China: the mediating role of social integration.BMC public health · 2026Article
- The role of brain health and resilience in reshaping trajectories of late-life neuropsychiatric disorders.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026Review
- Digital Pathways to Family Bonds: Exploring WhatsApp Video Calls Adoption by Older Adults With Intellectual Disability in Out-of-Home Residence.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARID · 2026Article
- Social media use and depression among middle-aged and older Chinese adults: mediating roles of health literacy and perceived social support.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Digital and offline social participation configurations and depressive symptoms and life satisfaction among older adults in China.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
123 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
1 author.
Funding
Abstract
Technology has the ability to enhance and enrich the lives of older adults by facilitating better interpersonal relationships. However, few studies have directly examined associations between technology use for social reasons and physical and psychological health among older adults. The current study examines the benefits of technology use in 591 older adults from the 2012 wave of the Health and Retirement Study (Mage = 68.18, SD = 10.75; 55.5% female). Social technology use was assessed through five technology-based behaviors (i.e., using e-mail, social networking sites, online video/phone calls, online chatting/instant messaging, using a smartphone). Attitudes toward the usability and benefits of technology use were also assessed. Older adults had generally positive attitudes toward technology. Higher social technology use was associated with better self-rated health, fewer chronic illnesses, higher subjective well-being, and fewer depressive symptoms. Furthermore, each of the links between social technology use and physical and psychological health was mediated by reduced loneliness. Close relationships are a large determinant of physical health and well-being, and technology has the potential to cultivate successful relationships among older adults.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.