Better Together: Technology Use Gaps as a Pathway to Loneliness in Older Adults

Loneliness is a growing public health concern among older adults, underscoring the need to better understand the complex interplay of factors associated with it. While technology has the potential to enhance social connectedness, limited attention has been given to discrepancies between desired and actual technology use in daily life. This study examined loneliness, focusing on perceived technology use gaps alongside health-related factors, including depressive symptoms, sleep quality, functional cognition and sensorimotor abilities. Data were collected using an online panel (Panel4All) from 211 adults aged 65–87. Participants completed self-report measures, including the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Daily Living Questionnaire (DLQ), selected items from the WG-SS Enhanced, and the Daily Technology Use Gap (DTUG) questionnaire. Spearman correlations and structural equation modeling (SEM) were conducted. Loneliness was significantly associated with all variables (r = −0.64 to 0.82, p < .01–.001). The SEM demonstrated good fit (CFI = 0.986, RMSEA = 0.068). Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with loneliness, while perceived technology use gaps mediated associations between health-related factors and loneliness. These findings highlight a shift from focusing on access to technology toward understanding the quality and satisfaction of technology use in daily life.