Playing keeps you sharp. If you’ve been a gamer, you’ll love what today’s tech has to offer.
Retirement can be an amazing reset. We leave work, and life is suddenly full of freedom and opportunities.
Hopefully, we stay healthy and mobile, allowing us to take full advantage. But for many of us, it may come with tricky knees, poor balance, or other issues.
The Internet has been touted as a fabulous tool for connectivity, but can it really help us connect with others and foster independence in our golden years?
What the science says
A 2021 study led by Dr Hua-lei Yang, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, China surveyed 7,801 adults aged 60+ in a nationwide panel study about their experiences using Internet technology.
They found that older adults who used the Internet for chatting with others and for entertainment such as watching films and playing games, had significantly lower depressive symptom scores than those who did not.
Seniors who use online tech a lot, reported talking to their children more, which reduced loneliness and disconnect. Also, using Internet tech for entertainment was linked to an increased sense of enjoyment in life.
This suggests that knowing how to use digital tools can help us stay active socially and boost mental health in retirement.
South Korean researchers Dr Gyeong-Suk Jeon and Dr Kyungwon Choi analysed data from a national survey of 5,094 South Koreans aged 65 and older, average age about 71, to see if using the Internet in different ways had an effect on mood, particularly depression.
They looked at a range of uses from shopping online and banking to chatting and scrolling social media. They found that chatting or scrolling social media led to only small improvements in mental health.
However, solving everyday issues such as grocery shopping, banking, looking up recipes and so on, helped seniors feel more empowered, stay mentally active, and experience less stress.
As such, the researchers recommend older people learn or update their Internet and app skills to reduce depression and improve how they feel about their health.
In Malaysia in 2023 Dr Hana Chen at the Management & Science University, Shah Alam in Selangor led a team of researchers surveyed 202 Malaysians aged 60 and over, average age about 68, to find out how they use social media and whether that affects their overall quality of life.
They found that those who used social media to stay connected with friends and family scored higher on physical health, mental health, social relationships, and their environment. Those who used social media for reading news or looking up facts did better on health scores too.
However, those who used it to share emotions showed lower mental‑health scores, suggesting that focusing too much on emotional posting isn’t good for your mood.
In short, talking with loved ones and learning new things online makes older adults feel better, while over‑emphasizing emotional expression may do the opposite.
Maximising digital advantage
Want to make the most of internet tools, here are some solid tips.
#1 Connect.
Use tech to talk to friends and family, but make it meaningful. Sending memes or good morning stickers just doesn’t do it for connection; in fact it may just add to empty noise.
Stay in touch with calls. For busy young people balancing kids, career and more, that may be five or ten minutes every week or two. For friends who are retired, consider a longer weekly or monthly catch-up chat.
The most popular tools for voice and video calls include WhatsApp, Google Meet and FaceTime. They’re all free and will synch with your phone contacts easily.
#2 Don’t scroll social media.
Study after study shows that endless scrolling just makes us miserable. So don’t do it.
Use tech to talk to friends and family, but make it meaningful. Sending memes or good morning stickers just doesn’t do it for connection. — Photos: Freepik
#3 Do play games.
Playing keeps you sharp and if you’re a gamer from way back, you’ll love the new tech. Old arcade games like Zelda and Robotron are booming (sometimes with newer names). There are social multiplayer games like Mario Kart world championships streaming on Twitch where thousands of people watch. And virtual reality and augmented reality equipment is finally becoming accessible.
Or if you prefer, there are also lots of puzzles and board games online from Wordle to Scrabble.
#4 Automate and Empower.
One of the hardest things about losing mobility is relying on others for simple things like buying your favourite tea or making sure the electricity bill is paid.
If you haven’t already done so, organise your banking and bill payment so you can do it from home from a phone or laptop.
In most families, one person gets stuck with this job, which means the others know in theory how it works but have no practice. As apps all have their quirks, make sure your skills are up to date. Take it in turns to pay bills and place supermarket orders online.
#5 Avoid online anger.
A single post every now and again with a moan doesn’t do any harm.
However, emotional posting isn’t good for your mood for these reasons.
First, algorithms are designed to give you more. If you are negative, it will give you more negative stuff.
Second, getting in with other angry or upset people can create a negative spiral where constant repeats lead to stress spikes. This can overwhelm and fuel anxiety, low mood and anger – without creating positive change or sparking a solution!
Much better to order a nice lunch, play a game and ring a friend.
Ellen Whyte is a counsellor and psychotherapist who has a soft spot for cats. She founded an online practice in 2016, and works with clients in 20+ countries. The views expressed here are entirely the writer’s own.
