Janssen Jeroen H M, van Tilburg Theo G, van Ingen Erik J, Corten Rense, Peeters G M E E Geeske
Department of Geriatric Medicine, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Department of Developmental Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2025 Mar 12;80(4). doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbaf014.
Maintaining a strong social network in later life can be challenging due to limited resources, life events, and changes in health. Social internet use provides an accessible way for communication that is less susceptible to age-related challenges. Although social internet use is increasingly used by older adults, we do not know how social internet use shapes older adults' offline networks. The purpose of this study is to examine whether social internet use can help maintain strong social relationships.
We used data from 3 waves (2012-2013, 2015-2016, and 2018-2019) of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. Our sample included 2,266 older adults aged 55-99 (mean = 68.2 years, 54% female). We included the frequency of social internet use and computed personal network size, contact frequency, and the number of continued, gained, and lost ties over time. Hybrid models were applied to disentangle between within- and between-person associations.
More frequent social internet users had significantly larger personal networks and, relative to the previous wave, more continued and gained network ties, compared to less frequent social internet users. A within-person increase in social internet use over time was associated with more continued and gained ties.
Social internet use may help maintain a strong and stable network, which is important for social connectedness in later life. It allows for additional interaction opportunities, as well as network maintenance and growth. Social internet use thus proves to be a valuable addition to the social interaction resources of older adults.
由于资源有限、生活事件以及健康状况的变化，在晚年维持强大的社交网络可能具有挑战性。使用社交网络提供了一种便捷的交流方式，这种方式较不易受到与年龄相关的挑战的影响。尽管老年人越来越多地使用社交网络，但我们并不清楚社交网络的使用如何塑造老年人的线下社交网络。本研究的目的是检验社交网络的使用是否有助于维持紧密的社会关系。
我们使用了来自阿姆斯特丹纵向老龄化研究的三轮（2012 - 2013年、2015 - 2016年和2018 - 2019年）数据。我们的样本包括2266名年龄在55 - 99岁之间的老年人（平均年龄 = 68.2岁，女性占54%）。我们纳入了社交网络使用的频率，并计算了个人社交网络规模、联系频率以及随着时间推移持续、新增和失去的人际关系数量。应用混合模型来区分个体内部和个体之间的关联。
与社交网络使用频率较低的用户相比，社交网络使用频率较高的用户拥有显著更大的个人社交网络，并且相对于上一轮，有更多持续和新增的社交网络关系。随着时间推移，个体内部社交网络使用的增加与更多持续和新增的关系相关。
社交网络的使用可能有助于维持强大且稳定的社交网络，这对晚年的社会联系至关重要。它提供了额外的互动机会，以及社交网络的维持和拓展。因此，社交网络的使用被证明是老年人社交互动资源的一项宝贵补充。
