ACCESS AND USE OF DIGITAL DEVICES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH LESS LONELINESS OVER TIME AMONG OLDER ADULTS - Abstract citation ID igaf122.3876

Sep 29, 2026

Loneliness is a common public health problem among older adults, with causes spanning individual and structural factors. As society digitalizes, older adults’ access to and use of digital devices may affect loneliness by changing how people interact and communicate. The study examined how access and use of computers and cellphones related to loneliness over time using Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging data across baseline in 2004 and repeated follow-ups over 10 years. Results showed increasing access and daily use and an association with less loneliness.

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1156 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 Abstract citation ID: igaf122.3876 ACCESS AND USE OF DIGITAL DEVICES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH LESS LONELINESS OVER TIME AMONG OLDER ADULTS Deborah Finkel1, and Anna Dahl Aslan2, 1. University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States, 2. University of Skövde, Skövde, Vastra Gotaland, Sweden Background: Loneliness, common among older adults, is a public health problem. The roots of loneliness are multifactorial, ranging from individual to structural factors. The digitalization of the society has the potential to influence older adults’ level of loneliness through individual factors, e.g., older adults’ access and use of digital devices, as the structure for how we interact and communicate has changed. Aim: to study the association between access and use of digital devices and loneliness over time. Methods: At baseline in 2004,(n = 785, mean age=70.1, SD = 11.2; 57.9% female; 100% European ancestry) and consecutively 4 more times over 10 years, participants in the longitudinal population-based Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging responded to question about their access and use of computer and cellphone, and whether they are bothered by loneliness. Results: At baseline, access to cellphone and computer was 71% and 42% and daily use was 17% and 19% . By 2014, access increased to 86% and 64% and daily use increased to 46% and 37% . Repeated measures ANOVA indicated higher digital access (p = 0.001) and digital use (p=0.054) as time-varying covariates were associated with less loneliness, while controlling for age, sex, and education. Conclusion: Among early adopters of digital devices both access and use are associated with less loneliness. The findings agree with a growing body of literature indicating that higher access and use of digital devices in old age potentially buffer against loneliness. Future studies need to explore the causal relation and control fora broader range of risk factors of loneliness.

FAQs

What was the study aiming to determine about digital devices and loneliness?

To study the association between access and use of digital devices (computer and cellphone) and loneliness over time among older adults.

How were access, use, and loneliness measured in the study?

Participants from the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging reported their access and use of computers and cellphones and whether they were bothered by loneliness at baseline in 2004 and repeatedly over 10 years.

What were the key findings regarding digital access, digital use, and loneliness?

Digital access and daily use increased from 2004 to 2014, and repeated measures ANOVA indicated that higher digital access and digital use were associated with less loneliness when controlling for age, sex, and education.

Sep 29, 2026

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