Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 May 10;65(6):gnaf025.
doi: 10.1093/geront/gnaf025.

Information and Communication Technology Use Among Social Ties of Varying Strength: Who Benefits and How?

Jess Francis-Levin  1 , Nour Fakhoury  1 , Simon G Brauer  1 , Noah J Webster  1 , Kristine J Ajrouch  1 , Toni C Antonucci  1   2
Affiliations

Information and Communication Technology Use Among Social Ties of Varying Strength: Who Benefits and How?

Jess Francis-Levin et al. Gerontologist. .

Abstract

Background and objectives: Information and communication technology (ICT) use has been associated with well-being among older adults. This link is often attributed to the fact that ICT use facilitates connecting with others. The purpose of this study is to assess how contact frequency and social tie strength impact the relationship between ICT use and depressive symptoms among older adults.

Research design and methods: Using data from the Detroit-based Social Relations Study collected in 2015, we use Bayesian analyses to examine the extent to which contact frequency with social network members moderates and the strength of these social tie (strong, moderate, and weak) mediate the link between ICT use and depressive symptoms among adults age 60 + (n = 483).

Results: ICT use was found to be associated with fewer depressive symptoms. Furthermore, ICT use was associated with more moderate and weak ties which were, in turn, associated with fewer depressive symptoms. Finally, a moderating effect was also found as ICT use was associated with fewer depressive symptoms only among those with lower contact frequency.

Discussion and implications: Our findings suggest that for older adults who communicate with others less frequently, ICT use can prove beneficial to mental health (i.e., fewer depressive symptoms). Furthermore ICT use may be especially meaningful to connect with weaker social ties. These findings may be due in part to ICTs capabilities which enable older adults to maintain connection to a diverse array of social ties and bridge social and physical distance.

Keywords: Depression, Social isolation; Technology.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

None.

References

    1. Ajrouch, K. J., Hu, R. X., Webster, N. J., & Antonucci, T. C. (2024). Friendship trajectories and health across the lifespan. Developmental Psychology, 60, 94–107. https://doi.org/ 10.1037/dev0001589 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Antonucci, T. C. (1986). Measuring social support networks: Hierarchical mapping technique. Generations: Journal of the American Society on Aging, 10(4), 10–12.
    1. Antonucci, T. C. (2001). Social relations: An examination of social networks, social support, and sense of control. Handbook of the Psychology of Aging, 3, 427.
    1. Antonucci, T. C., & Akiyama, H. (1995). Convoys of social relations: Family and friendships within a life span context. In Blieszner R. & Bedford V. H. (Eds.), Handbook of aging and the family (pp. 355– 371). Greenwood Press/Greenwood Publishing Group.
    1. Antonucci, T. C., Ajrouch, K. J., & Birditt, K. S. (2014). The convoy model: Explaining social relations from a multidisciplinary perspective. Gerontologist, 54(1), 82–92. https://doi.org/ 10.1093/geront/gnt118 - DOI - PMC - PubMed