Social needs of older adults can't be met by technology alone, says new COVID-19 research
A University of British Columbia researcher is warning of a looming loneliness crisis for seniors, and says that a “digital-only” future won’t be able to support an aging population in the long term.
UBC sociologist Dr. Yue Qian, a co-author of a new study published in Frontiers in Sociology, says that virtual interaction, like phone calls, video calls and texting during pandemic lockdowns were not helpful on their own as an alternative to face-to-face time for people over 60.
“Our findings demonstrate that face-to-face household contact is crucial to sustaining older adults’ mental wellbeing,” Qian said.
The pandemic severely curtailed face-to-face contact between households, particularly for older adults, due to their high risk of developing severe illness if infected by COVID-19.
“Our findings show that despite rapid digitization in the U.K. and elsewhere, virtual means of social interaction cannot replace in-person contact in supporting older people’s mental health,” says first author Dr. Yang Hu of Lancaster University.
“This has to do with a complex set of factors, such as digital access, device affordance, tech know-how and potential digital stress among the aging population.”
However, virtual contact in addition to face-to-face contact was found to have a positive impact.
Qian and Hu analysed results from the U.K.’s Economic and Social Research Council-funded Understanding Society COVID-19 Survey and the USA Health and Retirement Survey.
The data was collected from 5,148 people aged 60 and up in the U.K., and 1,391 people in the U.S. who were surveyed both before (2018–2019) and during (June 2020) the pandemic.
The results also show the limitations of technology in supporting seniors, Qian said.
“Policymakers and practitioners need to take measures to pre-empt and mitigate the potential unintended implications of household-centred pandemic responses for mental well-being,” Qian said.
“Beyond the context of the pandemic, the findings also indicate the need to enable strong inter-household ties to bolster public mental health in the long run.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.