Analysis: we may already have the solution to keeping loneliness at bay as we get older in the shape of social media and new technologies
As we age, we tend to become stuck in our ways. We like what we like, we do what we do and change often feels like an unnecessary hassle. The same applies to how we socialise. Meeting new people or trying new activities can feel daunting. Our sense of hearing, vision, touch, smell or taste changes, which can make it challenging to communicate or enjoy social activities.
Unfortunately, this is a key recipe for loneliness. Studies show that one in three adults aged 50 to 80 report feeling lonely, whereas this is one in ten adults aged 16 to 29. One of the major drivers of loneliness is social connection. As we get older, what can we do to keep loneliness at bay? Surprisingly, we may already have the solution, but are lacking one key ingredient: time.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, Dr. Mark Ward from TILDA discusses their research findings which highlight the increasing rates of loneliness and suicidal thoughts among older people
Retrospective ageing
All you need to do is look at two TV shows: The Golden Girls and And Just Like That. In The Golden Girls, we see glamorous women in their 50s (and 80s) navigating the challenges of the 1980s, dealing with poignant issues and resolving them with dignity. In And Just Like That, we see glamorous women in their 50s navigating the challenges of the 2020s. Same-ish format, with entirely different looks.
Through today’s cultural lens, we perceive Blanch, Rose, and Dorothy (Sophia gets a pass) to be far older than they actually were. This is due to a combination of two phenomena. The first is retrospective ageing, whereby old pictures and movies showcase people who appear surprisingly mature for their age. Lifestyle and environmental factors of the past, as well as fashion and cultural norms, force us to contextualise the past as a component of the present, steeping it in a sepia tone.
The second phenomenon is our perception of age. As we get older, we tend to revise the age we consider to be old upwards, summed up as the idea that we are only "as old as we feel". While The Golden Girls look as though they are older than they were, Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte in And Just Like That look as though they stepped out of the 1990s into the 2020s and maybe picked up a wrinkle or two along the way. At worst, they look their age. At best, they appear decades younger. Most importantly, they are not tethered to their corded telephone as they were in the 1990s. They are calling, texting, and emailing, using every tool at their disposal to be constantly in contact.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Arena, Jenn Gannon revisits The Golden Girls
We often view older generations through a modern lens, making it easy to misjudge their challenges based on today’s standards. What caused problems for past generations - such as limited communication options or societal norms - may not be the same issues we face today or in the future. As technology and lifestyles evolve, so do the root causes of our struggles, meaning the solutions of the past may no longer apply to the present or future
What has all of this to do with loneliness?
In the 1970s, if you missed a call from a friend, you might not even have known. Then came answering machines and voicemail and then people stopped speaking altogether. Txt spk ws invntd, which has thankfully died since.
Around the 1990s, social media was invented and the real revolution began in the early 2000s with the launch of Myspace, and social media was catapulted to the mainstream in 2004 with TheFacebook. While millennials favour the likes of Instagram, Gen Z have made the jump to Tiktok, no doubt to the protestations of their parents.
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From RTÉ Brainstorm, why is society so surprised by older people having sex?
As time has passed, social media became far more monetised and devolved into a melting pot of misinformation, advertisements and cat videos. I sometimes wonder if anthropologists in 1,000 years may hypothesise that we revere cats the same way we hypothesise that the Ancient Egyptians did. But social media is still one of the best tools we have for combatting loneliness, one that is so ubiquitous that the majority of us take it for granted. However, if you became set in your ways pre-2004, you would probably have found it to be quite challenging to adopt this brand new, revolutionary communication tool.
Technology acceptance models, which explain how people come to adopt new technologies, have shown us that even now, those aged over 70 are quite digitally literate. The pandemic prompted the necessity of technology onboarding globally, with people of all ages learning to navigate Zoom calls, virtual fitness classes and online grocery shopping. As a result, we may never have become as globally connected as when we were isolated, and for many, those skills are here to stay. Suddenly, the tech that once felt like an obstacle became a lifeline, bringing us closer when we had to stay apart.
With tech-savvy adults ageing up, more and more will be mastering Zoom, FaceTime and even VR experiences that can take you to new places without leaving your chair
We are ageing slower and living longer. Better access to healthcare and smoking warnings have seen to that. In 2020, for the first time in history, the over 60s outnumbered under 5s. Many of today's adults will live well into their 70s and 80s, but it is highly likely that children born today will live into and beyond their 90s
While today's older adults tend to be less engaged with digital technology and are at risk of 'digital exclusion', younger older adults will be far more fluent with the many ways in which we communicate today. Already we have found that digital communication tools like WhatsApp are helping to tackle loneliness in older age adults. With tech-savvy adults ageing up, more and more will be mastering Zoom, FaceTime and even VR experiences that can take you to new places without leaving your chair.
So, if you’re stressed about being lonely when you’re older, don’t be. We’ll still be sharing memes, jumping on group calls and scrolling through endless photos of other peoples’ cats grandkids.
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The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
