Older people's news dependency and social connectedness
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5716350 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Caroline Fisher (0000-0002-7443-3787, University of Canberra, corresponding author), Sora Park (0000-0003-3082-314X, University of Canberra), Jee Young Lee (0000-0002-6985-1730, University of Canberra), Kate Holland (0000-0003-3236-6173, University of Canberra), Emma John (University of Canberra) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 181 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 183-196 |
| Publication date | 2021-11-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Media International Australia (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1329-878X • E-ISSN: 2200-467X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/1329878x211006497 |
| OpenAlex | W3154001629 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 28 |
Social isolation has become a growing issue, particularly among older citizens. The 'digital divide' has been identified as one of the contributing factors leaving many older citizens behind. While increasing digital literacy among seniors has been identified as one of the remedies, less attention has been paid to the role of news media on the wellbeing and connectedness of older people. Through the lens of the uses and gratifications theory, this article reports on the findings of a survey of 562 news consumers aged 50 years and above who live in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The analysis highlights the important role of news in reducing feelings of social isolation, particularly for those who spend more time alone and older people with cognitive impairment. Older participants who had difficulty concentrating and learning new tasks were also more dependent on news. We suggest this is due to the habitual, predictable and concise nature of news. These findings contribute to our understanding of the role of news in the wellbeing of older people and point to the need for policymakers and those in the aged care sector to ensure access to news for older citizens to improve the quality of life
Aged care · Feeling · Internet privacy · Political science · Project commissioning · Public relations · Publishing · Social capital · Social connectedness · Social isolation · Social media · Social science · Sociology · Aging and Gerontology Research · Health disparities and outcomes · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology · Technology Use by Older Adults · Gerontology
Examining audience perspectives on local newspaper futures
“We’re selling tea towels, believe it or not!”
Gamifying Online News in a Senior Online Community
Don’t worry, be a senior?” The metaphorical labelling of late-life depression in Australian news media
Analysing policy success and failure in Australia
Interventions targeting loneliness and social isolation among the older people
Conceptualizing Digital Stress in Adolescents and Young Adults
Why Do People Watch News They Do Not Trust? The Need for Cognition as a Moderator in the Association Between News Media Skepticism and Exposure
Loneliness in Older Persons
The clinical significance of loneliness
Permanently online – Permanently connected
Influences on Loneliness in Older Adults
Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke
Loneliness and Social Isolation as Risk Factors for Mortality
Successful Aging through Television
Older audiences in the digital media environment
Older Adults’ Television Viewing from a Life-Span Perspective
Uses and Gratifications Theory in the 21st Century
Cohort Trends in Media Use in the United States
What are we talking about? Constructions of loneliness among older people in the Swedish news-press
Experiencing Television News
Uses and Gratifications Research
The psychological impact of negative TV news bulletins
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2021 - 2026 (6) |
| Highly cited | No |