Social Media Use and Loneliness Among Older Adults in Kathmandu

Abstract

Background: Older individuals are mostly susceptible to loneliness and social media platforms provide a means for older adults to maintain social and emotional connections contributing to improved mental health outcomes. Thus, this study aims to examine the relationship between social media use and loneliness among older adults.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 138 older adults using purposive sampling technique (aged 65+) in Kathmandu Metropolitan City. Data was collected via face-to-face interview using a semi-structured questionnaire and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 20.

Results: About two third of the respondents (71%) were aged between 65–75, with males representing 56.5%. The majority (77.5%) were married and 61.6% belonged to the Bramhan/ Chhetri ethnic group. Roughly 64% had basic education, 58% reported having enough resources for the year, and 96.4% lived in joint families with perceived family support. About 45% of respondents experience a high level of loneliness, while 24.6% report very high levels. The overall mean loneliness score is 25.10 ± 7.6 indicating moderate loneliness across the group. Messenger use was significantly associated with higher loneliness levels (p = 0.018), whereas no significant association was observed between daily social media use and loneliness (p = 0.143).

Conclusion: This study concludes that social media use is highly prevalent among older adults with most respondents engaging in daily use for communication and social interaction. The study identified that specific patterns of social media use, particularly frequent use and engagement with platforms such as Messenger, were significantly associated with increased loneliness which may not adequately fulfill the emotional and social needs of older adults. Instead, certain usage patterns may contribute to feelings of isolation. Therefore, it is essential to promote balanced and meaningful use of social media alongside strengthening real-life social support systems.