Older Adults' Facebook Use and Subjective Well-Bein

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the type of Facebook use (i.e., active vs passive) impacted the subjective well-being and loneliness of older adult Facebook users. The sample (N = 211) consisted of Facebook users between the ages of 50-70 years. The participants were administered a demographic questionnaire, the Facebook Activities Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale. The researcher hypothesized that (1) there would be a statistically significant difference in subjective well-being between active and passive older aged Facebook users and (2) Passive older aged Facebook users' loneliness score would be significantly higher than active older aged Facebook users. Statistical analyses were conducted and results indicated that mean score of life satisfaction was significantly greater for active Facebook users and whereas the feeling of loneliness, although being lower among active users, did not differ significantly from the mean score of the passive users. This study also provides recommendations for future research that will continue to bridge the gap.