Digital Exclusion and COVID-19: Does Communication Technology Correlate with Wellbeing?

Aim: To explore the implications of digital use on the wellbeing of older people during the pandemic. Method: 33 adults aged 70 and above responded to an online and phone survey, a communication technology usage questionnaire, and the Personal Wellbeing Index-Adult (PWI-A). A Spearman test determined the correlation between frequency of communication technology usage and wellbeing. Results: A significant medium correlation (r=.488, p=.004) was found between frequent digital communication usage and a higher average score on the PWI-A. Significant correlations were found between frequent technology use and health satisfaction (r=.377, p=.03), a sense of personal security (r=.404, p=.02), and a sense of future security (r=.597, p≤.001). Of all the communication platforms, video calls and emails yielded the most significant positive correlations with personal wellbeing. Conclusion: Results suggest that frequent users of communication technology felt greater levels of wellbeing and life satisfaction during the pandemic than non-frequent users.