The impact of facebook on the quality of life of senior citizens in Cape Town

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Abstract

Social Networking Sites (SNSs), such as Facebook, can be used to maintain social connectedness especially with friends and family, irrespective of geographical distances or physical impairments. This is particularly beneficial for older people who are more prone to social exclusion. This paper investigates the impact that the use of Facebook has on the quality of life (QOL) of senior citizens living in Cape Town. The study use a positivist approach with a conceptual model comprised of parts of Kleine’s Choice Framework and CASP-19 as the theoretical lens for evaluation of how Facebook impacts the QOL of senior citizens in Cape Town. Results of an anonymous survey confirmed that respondents were light users of Facebook, using only a limited number of features. The research also revealed that the respondents used Facebook primarily to stay socially engaged with their friends and family which adds happiness to their lives and ultimately translates to an improved QOL. The results reinforced a causal relationship between Facebook use and the QOL of senior citizens in Cape Town.

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APA

Rylands, D., & Van Belle, J. P. (2017). The impact of facebook on the quality of life of senior citizens in Cape Town. In IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology (Vol. 504, pp. 740–752). Springer New York LLC. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59111-7_60

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