Lonely elders turn to social media 

BENGALURU: While the stereotype is that elderly folks are not really tech savvy, psychologists at the National Institute of Mental Heath and Neurosciences have come across elderly people who use gadgets for hours on end and are exploring the link between such use and the pandemic.In May, Dr Manoj Sharma, chief clinical psychologist at the Services of Healthy Use of Technology (SHUT) Clinic, came across a 70-year-old man who sought help for prolonged use of his phone. He said he spent five or six hours a day chatting or sharing forwards with family and friends on WhatsApp groups, or watching videos on YouTube. He said that this was the only way he felt he was occupied and using the phone made him feel better. 

A month later, in June, Dr Sharma came across another case, in which a woman in her 40s approached the clinic seeking help for her parents, both aged above 75 years, who spent long hours on their phones. She said her parents preferred texting to talking to her over the phone, and sent her many videos through the day. She wanted advice on how she could get them to use their phones less, Dr Sharma said.

Instances of prolonged phone usage among the elderly are unusual, and since he came across both instances in the past few months, there could be a link with the pandemic-induced lockdown. “We aren’t sure if they started to over-use technology because of Covid. They complained to us about loneliness and told us technology kept them satisfied. However, they did realise that they were overusing it and experienced strain in the eyes,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Sharma says that cyber literacy would be good for them. “Or else, they could end up using technology with no restraint despite its negative consequences. They need to be asked to engage in activities such as exercising, walking, reading, listening to music, or talking to friends and relative in groups. This will keep them occupied and also make them happy,” he said.He advised people to spend more time with the elderly in their families so that they resist the urge to use technology as an escape.