ICT use and well-being in the oldest-old: Evidence from the representative German D80+ study

Abstract

While prior research has suggested that Information and communication technologies (ICT) use may be associated with enhanced well-being in older adults, evidence for the oldest-old population (aged 80+) remains limited. This study investigates the relationship between ICT use and subjective well-being in adults aged 80 and older using data from the representative German D80+ survey (n = 2,174). Building on earlier findings from a regional survey, we aim to replicate previous results and extend them by including an additional indicator of subjective well-being (i.e., positive affect). ICT use was categorized into internet-based use, non -internet-based use, and no ICT use. Moreover, descriptive analyses were used to explore different purposes of internet use (social vs. instrumental) to generate hypotheses for future research. Multiple linear regressions, including relative weights analyses, were conducted, controlling for sociodemographic variables, subjective health, and indicators of social inclusion. The study’s results indicate that internet-based ICT use is significantly associated with higher positive affect and lower anomie even after accounting for covariates. No significant association was found between ICT use by the oldest-old population and loneliness. These findings suggest that internet-based ICT may serve as a meaningful tool to support the oldest-old’s well-being.