Online religious communities and wellbeing in later life

ABSTRACT

This qualitative research sought to explore whether participation in online religious communities can alleviate distress in later life. Twenty-six religious individuals aged 70–96 were trained to use an experimental forum. Their experiences and online activities were documented for six months via interviews, media ethnographies, online observations and monthly follow-ups. Analysis led to identification of (1) Factors affecting participation; (2) Online activity patterns and (3) Effects on wellbeing. Findings indicate that continued spiritual involvement in later life through online religious communities is recommended as an accessible and available means of empowering older persons and enhancing their satisfaction with life.

KEYWORDS:

• Old age
• online communities
• religion
• spirituality
• wellbeing

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Kreitman's school of advanced graduate studies at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel [NA]; the Ageing + Communication + Technologies (ACT)—the research project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and housed at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada [NA]; Yad Tabenkin—the research center of the Kibbutz Movement in Israel [NA].