The Different Value of Facebook for Taiwanese Older Adults

ABSTRACT

Social networking sites are online social media where users can create profiles and build personal networks that connect with other users. Social needs are also important to people in aging. This study intends to clarify older adults’ use dependence on Facebook and the outcome effect, including alienation and feelings of security, based on the micro media-system dependency model and the dual-factor model of Facebook use. Data of 184 valid respondents who used Facebook were gathered and analyzed with PLS (partial least squares). The analysis results showed that older adults’ Facebook use dependence did not significantly affect either alienation or feelings of security. However, perceived social value and perceived interpersonal closeness significantly affected alienation and feelings of security. Academically, the study extends current theories in clarifying older adults’ Facebook use. Practically, it explains the importance of value of Facebook in strengthening older adults’ psychology as later adopters of social media.

KEYWORDS:

• Alienation
• Facebook
• sense of security
• use dependence
• perceived social value
• perceived interpersonal closeness

Acknowledgement

The author thanks the precious opinions of Dr. Jung-Ren Chen about the English of the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).