The association between use of online social networks sites and perceived social isolation among individuals in the second half of life: results based on a nationally representative sample in Germany

Since the early 2000s, online social network sites (e.g., Facebook) have become increasingly popular throughout the world. This is particularly true among young adolescents and young adults. However, use of social network sites is also increasing among middle aged and older adults. As a number of those aged 40 years and older are already familiar with the internet and online social networks, it is likely that the proportion of individuals in old age using social networks will increase in the coming decades.

It has recently been demonstrated in a study of adults in the U. S. aged 19 to 32 years, that users of social media (e.g., Facebook) report higher perceived social isolation (used interchangeably: social exclusion) [1]. Social isolation is a feeling that one does not belong to the society. A positive association between the use of social network sites and loneliness (the perceived discrepancy between actual and desired social relationships) has also been shown among younger adults in different countries [2, 3]. It is worth noting that while loneliness is related to social isolation, these are two distinct constructs [4] and they differ in their correlates [5].

To date, little is known about the association between the use of online social networks and social isolation among individuals in the second half of life. Previous studies focusing on older adults were interested in the relationship between social network sites and loneliness. For example, a recent study conducted by Aarts and colleagues on community-dwelling older adults ≥60 years in the Netherlands (n = 626) showed that the use of online social network sites was neither related to loneliness in general, nor was it related to emotional and social loneliness [6]. In contrast, Leist concluded in a review that social media can reduce loneliness among older adults [7]. She stated that online communities are “places where people can get together and engage in social contact, e.g. overcome loneliness at nighttime” [7].

In order to close the gap in knowledge, the purpose of this study was to examine the link between the use of online social networks such as Facebook and social isolation among individuals aged 40 and over in Germany, using a nationally representative sample. Understanding this association is important due to the well-established association between social isolation, and morbidity as well as mortality [8].

Frequent users of social network sites may replace real life social interactions with these sites. Moreover, the frequent use of these sites may lead users to perceive that others have more, or better quality, social relationships than themselves, due to the unrealistic portrayals of reality on social network sites [1]. On the other hand, individuals who perceive themselves as socially isolated may feel less isolated when using social network sites, as these sites may facilitate relationship building by enhancing social ties [9, 10].

Drawing on a nationally representative sample of non-institutionalized adults ≥40 years, the objective of this study was to examine the association between the use of online social network sites and social isolation. Interestingly, non-users of social networks site were markedly older, more functionally impaired and had a higher number of physical illnesses compared to (daily) users in our study. Multiple linear regressions revealed that compared to daily users, less frequent users and non-users reported statistically significant higher social isolation scores.

To date, there is equivocal evidence concerning the association between the use of social networks sites and social isolation. The variance in results outlined in the introduction section can mainly be explained by differences in measuring the independent variable of interest (use of online social network sites), differences in the outcome measure (loneliness vs. social isolation) and large differences in the sample composition (e.g., student samples vs. community-dwelling older adults). Moreover, we assume that age is associated with the motivation to use online social network sites, which may influence the strength of association between their use and social isolation.

How can our findings be explained? Intuitively, one might assume that time spent on social networks replaces real life social experiences, which are associated with actual decreases in social isolation [1]. Moreover, use of social network sites may facilitate comparisons of oneself to idealized portrayals of others, or may highlight instances where one is not invited to an event and/or social gathering. Such instances may elicit feelings of envy and may result in social isolation [1]. Realistic evaluation of images and events viewed via such sites may lead to the opposite response by the user. That is, the user may conclude that he or she is better off socially than others are, leading to decreased social isolation. This possibility could explain our results. Another way to explain our findings might be that daily users in the second half of life might compare with less frequent or non-users. Daily users might also conclude that they are better off than the latter groups because they are still able to participate in social network sites which in turn might reflect a better perceived health status compared to the latter groups [19, 20]. This might result in decreased social isolation. It appears plausible that daily users have a better health status compared to non-users. In Table 1, it was, for example, shown that daily users reported better health (in terms of self-rated health, number of physical illnesses, depression or physical functioning).

This study has several strengths. To our knowledge, this is the first study investigating the relation between the use of social network sites and social isolation based on a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling individuals in the second half of life in Germany. Social isolation was quantified using an established scale developed by Bude and Lantermann. It was adjusted for various potential confounders, including socioeconomic, lifestyle and health-related factors. The frequency of social network use in the past 12 months was used to quantify the social network use. The robustness of our findings was checked by replacing this variable with a broader variable covering the frequency of internet use for contact with friends and relatives in general. However, further research that assesses the time spent using social network sites is required. As this is a cross-sectional study, changes within individuals over time could not be examined. Further research is needed to clarify the direction of this relationship. In addition, a reasonably small sample selection bias has been reported in the DEAS study [12].

Unexpectedly, data suggest that daily users of online social network sites aged 40 and over tend to feel less socially isolated than less frequent users or non-users. Future research should concentrate on identifying the direction of this association. Moreover, the reasons underlying these findings should be examined. The association could differ by personality type, cultural settings, and/or geographical location. Furthermore, the type of social media use (e.g., distinguishing between passive consumers and active users) [9] should be investigated in depth.