Exploring the Effect of Social Media and Group Chat Use on Social Isolation Among the Older Adults: A Study in Urban Japan.

Background: Although research has been conducted on older adults and social media, the relationship between social media use and social isolation remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the relationship between social isolation and the frequency of use of social media and group chats. Methods: We measured social isolation using the Japanese version of the Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6) in 411 older adults people living in urban areas. We used a questionnaire to survey their use of social networking services (SNS) such as LINE, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram, and their use of group chats. A separate questionnaire surveyed frequency of and participation in group chats. We analyzed associations between variables with logistic regression and a chi-squared test. Results: The most used service was LINE, with 51.3% of users participating in group chat. The analysis did not show an association between frequency of social media use and social isolation. However, group chat use, especially in groups of friends and acquaintances, was significantly negatively associated with social isolation (OR = 0.30, p < 0.001). Conclusions: This study revealed that LINE group chats may ameliorate social isolation among older adults. It also suggests that research focusing on its content and usage is needed.