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ABSTRACT
The emergence of social network sites and online communities has offered new possibilities for older adults to stay socially connected and older adults comprise a growing user group of social media. This paper examines the relationship between older adults’ online social engagement and social capital based on a national survey of adults aged 60 and over. Findings show that older adults who engage more often in specific online social activities (i.e., asking questions on social media, looking at photos of family members/others) enjoy greater bridging social capital (both in offline and online contexts) than those who do so less often. Furthermore, Internet skills moderate the relationship between online social engagement and social capital. Specifically, older adults with greater Internet skills benefit relatively more from engaging in specific online social activities more often with respect to online bridging. The paper discusses the implications for digital inequality scholarship.
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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Minh Hao Nguyen
Minh Hao Nguyen (Ph.D., University of Amsterdam) is a Senior Research and Teaching Associate at the Department of Communication and Media Research of the University of Zurich, where she is a member of the Internet Use and Society division. Her research focuses on the content, uses, and consequences of new media technologies in relation to health and well-being, with a particular interest in digital disconnection. Email: [email protected].
Amanda Hunsaker
Amanda Hunsaker (Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh) is a postdoctoral scholar at the Department of Communication and Media Research of the University of Zurich and is a part of the Internet Use and Society Division. She conducts research on Internet use among older adults, as well as health and aging more generally. Email: [email protected].
Eszter Hargittai
Eszter Hargittai (Ph.D., Princeton University) is a professor of communication and media research and holds the Chair in Internet Use and Society at the University of Zurich. Her research interests include digital inequality with a particular focus on how people's Internet skills relate to what they do online. Email: [email protected].