Information and communication technologies and the risk to loneliness
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Authors
Author (Corporation)
Publication date
01.09.2025
Type of student thesis
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Type
04A - Book part
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Parent work
Macro social influences on loneliness in later life. Towards a better understanding of the loneliness paradox in Europe
Special issue
DOI of the original publication
Link
Series
International Perspectives on Aging
Series number
47
Volume
Issue / Number
Pages / Duration
187-202
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Publisher / Publishing institution
Springer Nature
Place of publication / Event location
Cham
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Abstract
Digital technologies, such as information and communication technologies (ICT; e.g., the internet), play a significant role in people’s daily lives. With the growing use of ICT, social exchanges are increasingly being conducted digitally. The question of whether the digitization of social interactions has impacted older people’s loneliness has arisen as a concern. There are two perspectives on ICT and its impact on loneliness. First, ICT can protect older people from loneliness by allowing them to communicate with their loved ones over longer distances. Second, increasing pressure to use the latest technologies can lead to a risk of exclusion and loneliness. This chapter includes a literature-based discussion of the associations between ICT use and loneliness. We also present descriptive findings from a Swiss survey of 1604 respondents aged 18–98 years old in which the aim was to explore digital and nondigital forms of contact to identify their preferred forms of social communication. This chapter discusses the impact of increasing digitalization among older people, showing, on the one hand, the opportunity for digital communication tools to maintain social contacts and, on the other hand, the risk of social exclusion because of these digital tools.
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ISBN
978-3-031-94564-9
978-3-031-94565-6
978-3-031-94565-6
ISSN
Language
English
Created during FHNW affiliation
Yes
Strategic action fields FHNW
Future Health
Publication status
Published
Review
Expert editing/editorial review
Open access category
Gold
License
Citation
Seifert, A. (2025). Information and communication technologies and the risk to loneliness. In M. Aartsen, I. Precupetu, & B. Suanet (Eds.), Macro social influences on loneliness in later life. Towards a better understanding of the loneliness paradox in Europe (pp. 187–202). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-94565-6_8