Tackling loneliness, especially among older adults, requires a targeted solution and digital connections may help This article is reprinted by permission from NextAvenue.org.

British writer and theologian C.S. Lewis once said, “Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and hard to bear.” With all the attention to mental health and well-being, communities are trying to find ways to tackle this issue, which worsened after COVID-19.

But tackling loneliness, especially among older adults, requires a targeted and unique solution since the experience of loneliness is both collective and personal.

““After several years of running Teeniors, there is one thing I know for sure: the main service we provide is not tech support. It is a human connection.””

— Trish Lopez, CEO of Teeniors Today, more people live alone than ever before; about one-third of Americans are 65 and older and half of those over 85. We’ve heard it all, from the dangers of isolation and loneliness on older adults’ health to loneliness shortening lifespans in a way that is comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Related: ‘There’s a lot of lonely people out there.’ Is loneliness killing you?

When it comes to digital and technological solutions, new research shows that information and communication technology-based tools and interventions could effectively provide social support and improve mental health in our older population.

Also see: A ‘loneliness loop’: How the American culture of busyness can increase isolation

Impact of socialization More specifically, intergenerational mentoring between college students and older adults (sometimes known as digital buddy programs) could help bridge the digital divide for older people. These connections are paramount, and fostering them can impact older adults’ mental well-being, from depression to health-related quality of life and beyond.

“If there’s one thing we consistently hear from our older adults, it’s that socialization is critical to well-being,” said Trish Lopez, a 2021 Next Avenue Influencer in Aging and CEO of Teeniors, a multi-award-winning company that includes teens and young adults who help older people learn technology through one-on-one, personalized coaching. 

“After several years of running Teeniors, there is one thing I know for sure: the main service we provide is not tech support. It is a human connection,” she continued. “And the level to which we recognize that, and stay true to that, is the level to which we continue to succeed.”