Quality of Life: Older Adults and the Role of Social Media

A significant percentage of our overall population includes older adults. Moreover, the information systems (IS) discipline has advocated change in the area of health care, particularly with the Internet of things (IoT) and the use of social inclusion to improve one's quality of life. To that end, this paper focuses on the older adult who is over 65 years old. Older adults navigate the personal use of technology differently than young to mid-range adults. Therefore, we propose that the IS discipline adopt new techniques that could make strides toward improving the lives of our older population. Past studies reveal findings on the significance of cognitive speed, social integration, and social network. These interventions reduce the risk of cognitive decline and increase quality of life. We believe these extant findings may adapt to an older adult's use of social media and open opportunities for managing everyday life capabilities.