The Contribution of Social Networks to the Technological Experience of Elderly Users

Abstract

Social networks have changed the way people and companies communicate. Nowadays, more and more elderly persons are using these platforms to communicate with friends and family, access news, entertainment and education. This study focuses on the elderly population and its use of social networks, and analyzes the contribution provided by the platforms to the users’ technological experiences, and whether this interaction contributes to the quality of life of this population. A survey based on the experience economy theory was disseminated online through Facebook to gauge users’ behavior. A Social Networks User Experience (SNUX) model was developed to study the elderly-user experience associated with the use of social networks, which was analyzed through structural equations modeling using SmartPLS 2.0. From the results obtained, it was concluded that social networks can contribute to an increased well-being of the older population, mainly from the technological experience associated with the use of these platforms, the environment of which contributes to entertainment and education of these users.