Bem-estar subjetivo e redes sociais digitais: estudos com pessoas idosas que usam tecnologias digitais da informação e comunicação

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The increase in the number of elderly individuals in Brazil prompts reflection on the biopsychosocial aspects of health that contribute to the population's health and subjective well-being. The population as a whole, regardless of age, has been undergoing significant digital inclusion, which has also reached the elderly population, bringing about the need to understand the use of Information and Communication Digital Technologies (ICTs) and Digital Social Networks (DSNs). OBJECTIVE: To analyze the Subjective Well-Being (SWB) of elderly individuals who use digital social networks. METHODS: This study was conducted with individuals of both sexes aged 60 years or older, not institutionalized, and who used Digital Social Networks. To evaluate and screen for any cognitive impairment in the participants, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used, and a sociodemographic questionnaire was applied to collect data on participants such as income, housing arrangement, religion, and level of education. A semi-structured interview was elaborated and applied to verify how participants evaluate the contribution of Digital Social Networks to their SWB. A questionnaire on the use of ICTs and DSNs was elaborated and applied to understand characteristics such as which social network is most used, how many hours of daily use are devoted to these technologies, and the purpose of this use. The EBES (Subjective Well-Being Scale) was used for quantitative assessment of SWB. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) v. 25.0 was used for quantitative results analysis, and Thematic Categorical Analysis was used for qualitative results analysis. RESULTS: A total of 54 elderly individuals participated in the research, including 23 women and 21 men, with a mean age of 69.56. This dissertation is presented with two articles. Article 1: "A click away: use of Digital Social Networks by elderly individuals and Article 2: "Implications of the use of digital technologies on the subjective well-being of elderly individuals”. CONCLUSION: Based on what was collected by the participants and discussed in the two articles that formed the present dissertation, it was possible to ascertain the benefits of using ICTs and DSNs by the older population, with promotion of strengthening social bonds, shortening distances, facilitation of religious practices, reduction of social isolation, and autonomy observed from the use of these digital technologies.