Social Media use, Loneliness and Physical Health among older adults: An Exploratory Study

Aiswarya Lekshmi K S; Raghavendra Gudagunti

Social Media use, Loneliness and Physical Health among older adults: An Exploratory Study

Author(s)	Ms. Aiswarya Lekshmi K S, Prof. Dr. Raghavendra Gudagunti
Country	India
Abstract	Population ageing has brought increasing attention to the social, psychological and physical well-being of older adults. At the same time, social media has become an important means of maintaining interpersonal relationships, accessing information and participating in social life. However, the relationship between social-media use, loneliness and physical health among older adults remains complex. The present study examines the relationship between social-media use, loneliness and perceived physical health among older adults in Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala. Particular attention is given to loneliness as a potential psychological mechanism linking social-media engagement with perceived physical health. The study adopts an ex-post-facto research design. The proposed sample consists of 384 older adults aged 60–75 years who use social-media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram. Participants are selected through simple random sampling. Data are proposed to be collected using a socio-demographic information schedule, Social Media Usage Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale and Physical Health Perception Scale. Descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-test, correlation and regression analysis are proposed for analysing the data.Existing literature indicates that social media can strengthen social connectedness, facilitate communication with family and friends, provide access to health information and support healthy ageing. However, excessive or passive use may be associated with loneliness, sleep-related difficulties, sedentary behaviour and other adverse outcomes. The literature also identifies loneliness as an important factor associated with poorer perceived physical health. The present study addresses an important gap by examining social-media use, loneliness and perceived physical health within an integrated framework in the Kerala context.
Keywords	social media, ageing, older adults, loneliness, physical health, healthy ageing, Kerala, social connectedness
Field	Sociology > Philosophy / Psychology / Religion
Published In	Volume 7, Issue 5, September-October 2026
Published On	2026-09-06

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Social Media use, Loneliness and Physical Health among older adults: An Exploratory Study

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