SOCIAL MEDIA AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING IN LATER LIFE

Abstract Social well-being is important to health, but maintaining social relations often becomes difficult in later life due to retirement, chronic disease, and the death of spouses and friends. Social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, present accessible and low cost communication technologies that are associated with enhanced feelings of social connection and reduced loneliness in younger age groups. This paper examines whether similar benefits might arise for adults at older ages. Using a four-week social media training workshop as a randomized, controlled wait-list intervention, this study examines whether social benefits are realized among a group of novice social media users, aged 65+. Measures of social well-being, including social capital, loneliness, social connectedness, and social provisions, were assessed at pre- and multiple post-test intervals for differences related to social media learning. Findings revealed only small differences between groups in one dimension of social connectedness, that of social integration. As these findings seemingly contradict studies conducted with younger persons, the contexts of social media use in older adulthood are discussed. These include the relevance of lower social media adoption rates, as well as influences that intersect with an older person’s life stage, such as gaps in network coverage on technological platforms, perceptions of the value of weak connections, and a reduced digital skills base. These additional factors are relevant to understanding disparity in the benefits that can be obtained through the use of social media and highlight the differing needs that social media fulfill at varying life stages.

older adults (N = 42, 81.0% female, Mage = 77.3)completed the following: the Older Adult Smartphone Challenge Task (OASCT), Older Adults' Technophobia Scale (OATS), Older Adult Social Anxiety Scale, Computer Anxiety Rating Scale, and the IPIP Five Factor Personality Domains.Preliminary data indicate good internal consistency for the OATS (α = .87)and the OASCT (α = .86).The OASCT was negatively correlated with age, computer anxiety, and OATS anxiety/avoidance scores, but positively correlated with education.The OATS scores were positively correlated with social anxiety, social avoidance, and computer anxiety, but negatively correlated with extraversion.To keep pace with the contemporary world, older adults must achieve a level of comfort with the use of technological devices.Administering the OASCT and OATS could be a valuable first step in identifying older adults with technology-related deficits and anxiety for individual and/or community-wide intervention.

USE OF TECHNOLOGY BY FOUR DIVERSE COHORTS OF OLDER ADULTS: FINDINGS FROM THE CART STUDY
Katherine Wild, 1 Nora Mattek, 2 Nicole Sharma, 2 Jennifer Marcoe, 2 Rachel Wall, 2 and Jeffrey Kaye 2 , 1. OHSU,Portland,Oregon,United States,2. Oregon Health & Science University,Portland,Oregon,United States Early studies of technology adoption and computer use identified a "digital divide" between older adults and the general population.As that gap has narrowed, other demographic variables have been identified as continuing to foster disparities in access to and use of computers and related technologies.For example, gender, socioeconomic status, education, and ethnicity have been recognized as predictors of computer use among community living older adults.The ORCATECH Collaborative Aging (In Place) Research Using Technology (CART) initiative was designed to develop and validate an infrastructure for research utilizing technologies to facilitate healthy and independent aging.The CART program tests innovative technology applications in four diverse populations: residents in low income, section 202 housing in Portland; isolated, rural veterans in the Pacific Northwest; urban African American seniors in Chicago; and socially isolated, ethnically diverse low income seniors in Miami.As part of their participation in the CART project, older adults complete an annual survey of health and technology use.A total of 214 participants were enrolled and agreed to have their homes instrumented with the CART platform of monitoring technologies.Across all four cohorts 166 answered the technology survey thus far: 82 -97% of participants own a cell phone; 64 -78% perform some online banking activities.There were no differences among cohorts in computer use or cell phone ownership, or in other measures of technology use.Inclusion of ethnically and economically diverse populations in future technology research will be critical in the development of effective digital health interventions.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING IN LATER LIFE Kelly Quinn 1 , 1. University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Social well-being is important to health, but maintaining social relations often becomes difficult in later life due to retirement, chronic disease, and the death of spouses and friends.Social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, present accessible and low cost communication technologies that are associated with enhanced feelings of social connection and reduced loneliness in younger age groups.This paper examines whether similar benefits might arise for adults at older ages.Using a four-week social media training workshop as a randomized, controlled wait-list intervention, this study examines whether social benefits are realized among a group of novice social media users, aged 65+.Measures of social well-being, including social capital, loneliness, social connectedness, and social provisions, were assessed at pre-and multiple post-test intervals for differences related to social media learning.Findings revealed only small differences between groups in one dimension of social connectedness, that of social integration.As these findings seemingly contradict studies conducted with younger persons, the contexts of social media use in older adulthood are discussed.These include the relevance of lower social media adoption rates, as well as influences that intersect with an older person's life stage, such as gaps in network coverage on technological platforms, perceptions of the value of weak connections, and a reduced digital skills base.These additional factors are relevant to understanding disparity in the benefits that can be obtained through the use of social media and highlight the differing needs that social media fulfill at varying life stages.

USE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY AND MEMORY PERFORMANCE IN OLDER ADULTS: WHICH COMES FIRST?
Eun Young Choi, 1 and Elizabeth M. Zelinski 1 , 1. Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States The topic of older adults' information and communication technology (ICT) use looms large because of the beneficial effects of ICT use on physical health, emotional well-being, and social engagement.Previous research has shown that memory performance is also linked with ICT use, but the direction of influence is yet to be determined.Individuals with higher levels of memory function are more likely to use ICT devices, but ICT use may have protective effects on maintaining memory because using technologies includes mental exercises.The current study examined the temporal sequence of ICT use and memory performance, which can provide insight into the causation.Using three waves (2013, 2015, and 2017) from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), a total of 4,048 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 and above were selected for the analysis.Memory performance was measured by summing scores of immediate and delayed word recall.Reciprocal 5-year lagged associations between ICT use and memory were examined, while controlling for age, gender, education, racial/ethnic minority status, and depressive symptoms.The final model showed adequate fit indices (CFI = .979and RMSEA = .038).Word recall significantly predicted ICT use in later years.Reciprocally, greater use of ICT was significantly associated with better memory performance in following years.The effect of ICT use on memory performance was of greater magnitude in comparison with memory as a predictor for ICT use.These results suggest that ICT can have potential benefits for maintaining memory in old age.

EXAMINING DISCREPANCIES IN SOCIAL ROBOT VERSUS HUMAN ASSESSMENTS OF GERIATRIC WELL-BEING
Erin Harrington, 1 Ha Do, 1 Alex J. Bishop, 1 Celinda Reese-Melancon, 1 and Weihua Sheng 1 , 1. Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States Socially assistive robotic (SAR) technologies represent a viable tool for monitoring the safety and health of older adults.However, it is unclear whether SARs can comprehensively screen geriatric well-being as effectively as trained human clinicians.The purpose of this study was to compare SAR versus human assessment of geriatric well-being.Participants included 30 older adults (Mage = 73.40,SD = 7.88) who completed a robot-administered well-being assessment session during which human-administered evaluation was simultaneously performed.Standardized clinical screening assessment tools common in geriatric care were administered (e.g., Short Blessed Test (SBT), UCLA Loneliness Scale, Geriatric Depression Scale, PHQ-4, Iowa Fatigue Scale, Fall Risk).Multiple dependent sample t-tests were used to explore variability in assessment scores between SAR and human evaluation.Assessment scores significantly differed on several measures, including the SBT (t(29) = -9.33,p < .001),UCLA Loneliness scale (t(19) = 2.37, p < .05), and fall risk assessment (t(29) = 3.03, p < .01).Specifically, the SAR indicated that older adults were significantly more cognitively impaired, less lonely, and more likely to fall compared to the human administrator.Other observed differences and hypothesized explanations will be discussed in greater detail.The current study indicates that there is a divergence in geriatric assessment outcomes based on human versus SAR administration.Findings have implications relative to further developing SAR technology to align with human-based evaluations to enhance cognitive well-being, social connectedness, and falls prevention.

DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS REGARDING MENTAL HEALTH MOBILE APPS AMONG OLDER VETERANS
Ashley Scales, 1 Julia Loup, 2 Christine Juang, 3 Erin Sakai, 3 Flora Ma, 4 and Christine E. Gould 5 , 1. VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California, United States, 2. University of Alabama, Department of Psychology,Tuscaloosa,Alabama,United States,3. VA Palo Alto,Palo Alto,California,United States,4. Palo Alto University,Palo Alto,California,United States,5. VA Palo Alto Health Care System,Palo Alto,United States The number of older adults using mobile devices has doubled over recent years; however, many need assistance in learning how to use their device.To address this gap, we developed patient education materials teaching older Veterans how to download apps and the basics of mobile device and app use.For example, we developed stepby-step guides for three Veteran Affairs mobile apps that target mental health symptoms.Material development involved feedback from providers and older Veterans using a multi-step mixed methods evaluation process.Local