Beyond Isolation: Social Networks as a Bridge to Well-Being in Old Age

Population aging and the digital revolution converge, creating challenges and opportunities for the social inclusion of older adults. This study examined social media usage patterns among Brazilian older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, ex-ploring their associations with sociodemographic factors, health, and well-being. Through an online survey with 441 participants aged 60 or older, we found that WhatsApp® and Instagram® were the most utilized platforms, with a significant in-crease in usage during the pandemic. Higher educational attainment and income were associated with more frequent and diverse social media use, while the presence of comorbidities positively correlated with seeking health information online. Notably, greater engagement in social networks was associated with an improved perception of well-being. The results highlight the potential of social networks as tools for digital inclusion, access to information, and promotion of well-being for older adults, especially in crisis contexts. However, they also reveal socioeconomic disparities in access to and use of these technologies. These findings have significant implications for public pol-icies on digital inclusion and health promotion, suggesting the need for targeted in-terventions to reduce digital inequality among older adults and maximize the potential benefits of social networks for active and connected aging.