The number of older adults at risk for social disconnectedness, loneliness, and the negative mental and physical health outcomes associated with each will reach unprecedented size in the next decade. Elder orphans, or adults aged 65+ who live alone and are unmarried and childless, are particularly at risk for social isolation. Prior research has shown that social media use, specifically Facebook use, can provide individuals with access to social resources that promote well-being. To date, the research regarding Facebook use and its impact on loneliness is somewhat inconclusive. There have been studies with young adults, however, that suggest that Facebook use might promote the perception of mattering – a protective resource against loneliness. It is the aim of this study to assess how the modalities of Facebook can be harnessed in order to address the threat of loneliness among elder orphans through the promotion of mattering. This study employed online survey methodology among a sample of elder orphan Facebook users (n = 517). Participants were asked to answer questions related to their perceptions of mattering, loneliness, depression, and social disconnectedness. Participants were also asked questions about their Facebook use such as experience, motivations for use, frequently performed activities, concern for privacy and level of intensity. Analyses performed in this study include frequencies, simple linear regressions, and the Hayes’ PROCESS model for mediation and moderation.Results of this study show that Facebook activities were significantly and positively related to mattering and significantly and negatively related to loneliness among elder orphans. Moreover, mattering was shown to fully mediate the relationship between Facebook activities and loneliness for elder orphans. Results further suggest that receiving “Likes” is the most frequent Facebook activity that elder orphans encounter, and that receiving “Likes” is also significantly related to the three sub-dimensions of mattering: attention/awareness, importance, and dependence/reliance. Further results, limitations, and implications of this research for elder orphans and the aging community at large are detailed herein.
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