Why silver surfers get isolated if they go online too much

iT is not only the young who suffer from being glued to their smartphones.

older people who use the internet daily are more likely to be socially isolated, a study has found.

researchers studied almost 5,000 people aged 50 and over in england and found that the middle-aged, men and those who are married were most likely to use the internet daily.

Study participants were asked questions to determine their level of isolation, such as if they contacted friends or family less than once a month.

Those who went online only every week or month were 40 per cent less likely to suffer social isolation than those logging on daily.

experts believe older people, like millennials, may be tempted to contact people over social media and email, which can lead to missing out on face-to-face contact.

This is potentially risky, as social isolation has been linked to loneliness, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and early death.

Dr lee Smith, senior author of the study from anglia ruskin University, said: ‘it is important that online connections do not replace direct contact with family and friends.

‘online contact may cause older people to feel more lonely, just as it has been found to do in some younger people.’

The research, published in the journal ageing and Society, judged social isolation using five criteria, which included living alone and membership of a club or social organisation. The other criteria centred on whether they contacted family or friends less than once a month.

People were judged to be highly isolated if two or more criteria were met. The authors said people who go online often have less ‘balance’ in their lives. communicating online may also be more ‘convenient’ than calling a relative.

The study did not find that those who log on daily were more lonely, but said this may be because older people see loneliness as private and not something to admit to.

Searching for information, sending emails and shopping were the three most common online activities for older people, and 69 per cent used the internet daily,

Dr Smith said: ‘be aware of time spent getting lost in a youTube rabbit hole, or scrolling social media, or browsing online shops.’