Digital technology and wellbeing in older adults: social connection, digital exclusion and clinical implications

Digital technologies are increasingly embedded within the social, healthcare and civic environments of older adults. Smartphones, online communication platforms, video-calling applications, digital health services and internet-based information systems may support social connection, independence and access to essential services. However, unequal access to technology, limited digital confidence, cognitive and sensory difficulties and exposure to online misinformation and fraud may also create new forms of exclusion and vulnerability. This article examines the relationship between digital technology, social isolation and wellbeing in later life, considering the interaction between individual characteristics, social relationships and wider structural inequalities. Evidence suggests that digital communication may support wellbeing when it facilitates meaningful social relationships, although technology alone cannot resolve loneliness or social isolation. Digital exclusion may also function as a social determinant of health, particularly as healthcare and public services increasingly move online. Cognitive changes may create difficulties navigating complex digital environments; though, appropriately designed technologies may support memory, independence and communication. From a clinical perspective, assessment should consider digital access, confidence, social connection, cognitive functioning and online safety alongside conventional psychosocial assessment. An integrated approach involving healthcare professionals, social care, community organisations and digital inclusion services may help older adults participate safely and meaningfully in an increasingly digital society.