Older Adults' Use of Social Networking Sites and Its Link to Depressive Symptoms

Background and Purpose: Social networking sites (SNS) have become a standard part of social life for most adults in the United States (Duggan, Ellison, Lampe, Lenhart, & Madden, 2014). Nearly one-third (31%) of all older adults in the United States who are online use Facebook (Duggan et al., 2014). Research has found that older adults who use SNS experience increased informal social activity participation, such as face-to-face communication with family members and an increased number of acquaintances (Brandtzaeg, 2012; Erickson, 2011; Nef, Ganea, Muri, & Mosimann, 2013).

Recently, research has also attempted to unveil relationships between SNS use and levels of depression among adolescents, but results were mixed. Datu and colleagues (2013) found no significant relationship between Facebook use and clinical depression; however, Labrague (2014) found a positive correlation between the amount of time spent on Facebook and depression and anxiety levels. To date, no studies have examined the relationship between older adults’ SNS use and depressive symptoms. This study examined (1) differences between older SNS users and non-users in activity participation, and (2) the impact of SNS use on older adults’ levels of depressive symptoms.

Methods. Using data from the 2013 National Health and Aging Trends Study (N=3,457), we performed two way tabulate analyses and multinomial logistic regression analysis. The main outcome variable (level of depressive symptoms) was measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire 2 and categorized into three groups: severe, mild, and none (base outcome). SNS use was measured by indicating if older adults have gone on online to visit social networking sites in the last month (1=Yes). SNS includes sites where they can keep in touch with friends, like Facebook or LinkedIn. Activity participation includes informal participation (visiting friends or family, going out for enjoyment), formal participation (doing volunteer work, attending clubs or organized activities, attending religious services) and online communication use (emailing or texting). All activities were dummy coded variables (1=Yes). For data analyses, this study used survey software, Stata 13.0 (StataCorp, 2013) and all estimates were weighted.

Results. While 52% of older adults used computers or mobile phones for sending emails or text messages, 23% used such devices for accessing SNS. Older SNS users are more likely to engage in all three types of activities than non-users, respectively (p<.05 for attending religious services, and p<.001 for participation in other activities). Older adults were less likely to experience severe depressive symptoms if they used SNS (p<.05), while controlling for other relevant factors (i.e., socio-demographic characteristics, health conditions, activity participation).

Conclusions and Implications. As baby boomers become technologically proficient, digital device use has the capacity to transform later life in many positive ways. Unlike young SNS users, this technology could have a positive impact on older adults’ daily lives by increasing their in-person activity participation, and decreasing isolation. Older adults’ SNS use, like participation in other types of social activities, can bolster their mental health status. Intervention strategies and suggestions to improve older adults’ mental health using SNS and digital devices will be discussed.