This article examines the perceptions of the oldest-old segment of the population on social media sites and how relevant they are in their lives. The main aim of the study described in this article was to gauge the effects of SMS in reducing loneliness in the oldest-old that live in a small Italian city, and had never used social media before. The participants were trained in the main functions of Facebook and WhatsApp. Following the training, they were invited to a face-to-face interview to discuss their personal experience of using SMS, and how these serve to counteract feelings of loneliness and isolation. The majority of the interviewees reported positive feelings towards SMSs and the potential that these have to enhance their social life activities. Another significant finding was that SMSs are predominantly used to stay connected with other trainees, family and friends, with WhatsApp being the preferred choice as Facebook poses risks of being exposed to strangers and scams.

This study highlights the importance of training the oldest-old in new technologies, formerly considered to be exclusively the domain of younger generations. This is particularly relevant for the oldest-old living in remote communities which are often excluded from fast online connectivity. As the research on this training course is limited, the authors recommend doing further investigation, as this will probably yield further insight into the benefits of SMSs in improving the social lives of the oldest-old. Importantly, the themes explored in this study were particularly pertinent during the Covid pandemic and the resulting periods of lockdown. The oldest-old were particularly at risk during this time, and social media sites acquire a new significance, as they have the potential to mitigate social isolation and health-related anxiety.

I totally agree with the findings that more needs to be done to train the oldest-old in new social media technologies. Having this knowledge will empower them to initiate communication with loved ones, which is crucial to reducing the level of helplessness they feel at the end of their lives. Social media sites offer a glimpse of hope to the oldest-old who are often neglected and forgotten in favour of younger generations, but who still have so much to offer to society at large.