BBC News School Report @ LCS

In the past year, the percentage of older people who use social media sites has surprisingly risen by almost 50%. It has shot up from 23% to 42%.

The effects of social media on older adults have shown to be shockingly different to the effects of those on teenagers. Whilst social media has been linked to ill mental health in teenagers, it has been shown to provide better health in older people. The difference is most likely to be because of the way that it is used.

Many older people have said that they use social media as a way to connect with family that they would not usually connect with for free, such as family who live far away or to get help or information regarding problems that they encounter. This could make their life a lot easier. Doing these things on social media has been said to make their lives happier, and more stress free.

And the use of this technology could benefit their mental and physical health over time.

William Chopik

Furthermore, social media has been said to reduce the sense of loneliness for older people who live alone. Imagine how it would feel if your partner had sadly passed and you just had to sit around all day in sadness? The internet provides a way of easily accessing the world.

Older people who participated in a survey in 2015 said that, if they used technology, they were more satisfied with life and had less chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes. "Older adults think the benefits of social technology greatly outweigh the costs and challenges of technology," says William Chopik, assistant professor of psychology at Michigan State University. "And the use of this technology could benefit their mental and physical health over time."

Even though the use of social media may not be for all older people, due to price or ability to use it, for those who do, it has been shown to be invaluable in connecting with loved ones and having a positive impact on their health.