Digital skills as a pathway to successful aging: the mediating role of loneliness in Turkish context

OBJECTIVES: The role of technology in promoting well-being in later life has attracted increasing scholarly attention, but empirical evidence from non-Western contexts remains scarce. This study addresses this gap by examining how digital literacy and technology use relate to successful aging among older adults in Türkiye, with a particular focus on the mediating role of loneliness. METHOD: = 5.61), reflecting a balanced gender composition. RESULTS: Results indicated that digital literacy was significantly associated with lower loneliness and higher levels of successful aging, while technology use showed no significant direct effects. Structural equation modeling revealed that loneliness partially mediated the relationship between digital literacy and successful aging. CONCLUSION: These findings offer preliminary insights regarding the potential role of digital literacy in loneliness and successful aging among older adults in Türkiye.