ARCHIVES
Digital Social Participation and Loneliness Among Older Adults: The Mediating Roles of Social Connectedness and Perceived Autonomy
Published Online: July-August 2026
Pages: 05-14
Cite this article
No DOIAbstract
Loneliness among older adults has become a major social and public health concern, particularly in societies experiencing rapid population aging and increasing digitalization. Although digital technologies are often promoted as tools for reducing social isolation in later life, existing research frequently treats digital engagement as simple access to, or frequency of use of, the internet. Such an approach overlooks the social quality of digital participation, the psychological mechanisms through which digital engagement may influence well-being, and the role of digital literacy in enabling older adults to benefit from online interaction. Drawing on Active Aging Theory and Social Production Function Theory, this article proposes a structural equation modeling framework to examine the relationship between digital social participation and loneliness among older adults. The model positions digital social participation as the independent variable, loneliness as the dependent variable, social connectedness and perceived autonomy as parallel mediators, and digital literacy as a moderator. It is argued that digital social participation reduces loneliness when it strengthens meaningful social relationships and enhances older adults’ sense of control over everyday life. Furthermore, digital literacy is expected to strengthen the positive effects of digital social participation on social connectedness and perceived autonomy. The article contributes to gerontology, digital inclusion research, and social policy by presenting an empirically testable moderated mediation model that explains how and under what conditions digital participation may reduce loneliness in later life.
Related Articles
2026
A Strategic Framework for Depth-Dependent Hydroelectric Conversion along the Indian Coastline
2026
Reimagining Development in India: A Critical Analysis of the Viksit Bharat Vision
2026
AI-Enabled Image Description: Bridging the Gap for the Visually Impaired
2026
Perceived Occupational Risks of Emergency Medical Services Personnel
2026
Origin, Growth and recent Development of Integrated Reporting (IR): A theoretical Review
2026
Smart Hostel Management System
Share Article
Or copy link
*Instagram doesn't support direct link sharing from web. Copy the link and share it in your Instagram story or post.