Digital Social Connectedness as a Lifeline for Older People: Use and Non-use of VinclesBCN During the Pandemic  

作　　者：Israel Rodríguez‑Giralt Daniel López‑Gómez Roser Beneito‑Montagut 

机构地区：[1]CareNet,IN3,Universitat Oberta de Catalunya,08018 Barcelona,Spain [2]School of Social Sciences,Cardif University,Cardif CF103NS,Wales,UK

出　　处：《International Journal of Disaster Risk Science》2024年第2期251-264,共14页国际灾害风险科学学报（英文版）

摘　　要：This article presents the results of a study that evaluated VinclesBCN during COVID-19. This digital-based public social service aims to prevent loneliness and isolation in +65-year-old adults living in Barcelona. Through service user(N = 12) and professional(N = 6) interviews and a questionnaire with service users(N = 255), we demonstrate the pivotal role of digital connectedness in transforming VinclesBCN into a lifeline during the pandemic. The analysis revealed the importance of sociability, social support, and, especially, entertainment in coping with pandemic fatigue and facilitating social connectivity and support among users. Users engaged in activities such as sharing images, songs, memes, and daily greetings to provide proximity, sociability, and care among users, whether they belonged to preexisting groups or were newly introduced to the platform. It also facilitated the identification of individuals who needed companionship, comfort, or more specialized support. The findings emphasize the significance of entertainment as a resilience-building strategy during times of uncertainty. Despite the positive impact, not all users equally used the platform. Non-use was strongly associated with being a woman, having a low educational level, having preexisting social relationships, less time of enrolment in the platform, as well as a high perception of loneliness, poor self-reported health, and low mood. The article underscores the need for further research into older adults' digital engagement during crises, its role in building resilience, and advocating for inclusive digital interventions that take into account diverse older adults' needs and experiences in crisis contexts.

关 键 词：BARCELONA COVID-19 pandemic Digital social connectedness ENTERTAINMENT Older adult resilience Public digital service 

分 类 号：F49[经济管理—产业经济] C913.6[社会学]