A Smartphone in Hand and Loved Ones on Screen — Yet Why Does Elderly Loneliness Persist?
Does having a smartphone end loneliness? Research on the lives of older people suggests that technology can shrink distance and can hold relationships together, but screen-based contact cannot always make up for the absence of in-person companionship.
As people age, their lives change in many ways. Retirement from working life, losing a spouse or friends, physical limitations, or children living far away can all reduce an older person's opportunities for social contact.
In such a situation, the smartphone opens a new door to communication. Through video calls, messages and online entertainment, older people can stay connected with relatives who live far away. But the question remains: does being connected through technology actually remove loneliness?
Researchers remind us that being alone and feeling lonely are not the same thing. Someone can live alone and still feel content. Another person can feel lonely even while surrounded by family members, friends and acquaintances.
That is because loneliness does not depend only on the presence of people nearby; how much warmth, understanding and emotional connection a relationship holds also matters. More frequent contact does not automatically mean less emotional distance.
This is especially relevant for older people. Even with regular conversations with family members, some may feel that they no longer spend time together the way they used to. Checking in by phone and sitting beside someone to talk are not the same experience, so a lack of closeness can remain even when contact is frequent.
The great advantage of a video call is that, even from far away, you can see a loved one's face, hear their voice and read their expressions. For people who have difficulty moving around, or whose family members live in another city or country, it can be an effective means of communication.
Research identifies three roles for video calls. First, they increase opportunities for contact alongside in-person meetings. Second, regular conversations help preserve closeness with relatives who live far away. Third, they sometimes become a substitute for meeting face to face.
In the first two cases, video calls can support a relationship. But limitations appear in the third case, because although you can see the person on a screen, you cannot sit beside them or feel their real presence. For some older people, a video call can feel much like a 'talking postcard' — the words are exchanged and the face is visible, but the feeling of real presence is missing.
If opportunities to meet in person shrink and contact becomes limited to video calls alone, some people may also feel a fear of being neglected. They may feel that family members are staying in touch, but that the desire or opportunity to spend time together is fading. The effectiveness of a video call therefore depends not only on how often people talk, but also on how sincere that contact is.
Listening to music, watching films or enjoying videos on a smartphone can help older people pass their leisure time. But entertainment and social contact are not the same thing. Even after spending long hours online, loneliness can remain if there is no one with whom to share one's thoughts. By contrast, talking with family by video call or message, checking on old friends, or sharing experiences can create meaningful contact.
The central message of the research is that video calls should be used as a complement to face-to-face contact, not as its replacement. When older people struggle with technology, family members can build their confidence by helping them start video calls, teaching them to use apps, and making them aware of online safety. Most importantly, contact must not become a mere formality — listening attentively, valuing their likes and dislikes, and spending time together in person when possible are all necessary. A smartphone can reduce distance, but reducing loneliness takes sincere relationships and real companionship alongside technology.
