While too much screen time can isolate young people, a recent study of older, unpaid caregivers shows benefits to being online. The authors found that staying connected through the internet can help older adults who care for their family or friends feel less lonely and cope better with the stress of caregiving.

The researchers analyzed data from the 2019‐2020 California Health Interview Survey, focusing on 3,957 participants ages 65 and older (mean age, 72; 58%, women) ) who provided unpaid care for a family member or friend.

About 12% of participants reported physical or mental health problems because of their caregiving duties, and those who had these health issues tended to feel lonelier. However, caregivers who used the internet more often felt less lonely overall. In fact, going online frequently seemed to act like a buffer: it reduced the extra loneliness that caregivers with health problems might otherwise experience.

The health impact of caregiving was measured by asking respondents “whether you had experienced physical or mental health problems as a result of their caregiving responsibilities in the past 12 months.”

Internet use was measured by asking participants the question: “how often you used the internet?” Responses were coded on a 4-point scale: “1=less than a few times a day,” “2=few times a day,” “3=many times a day,” and “4=almost constantly.”

Overall, Internet use was moderate (2.71) and the mean UCLA Loneliness Scale score was 3.98 on a scale of 3 to 9, indicating relatively low levels of loneliness in this sample.

While the study looked at how often caregivers use the internet, it did not capture what they do online. The authors hope that future research will dig into specific types of online activities and which have the greatest benefit for caregivers’ wellbeing.

To download the full study, published in JMIR Aging, click here