Computer Use Predicts Changes in Self-Rated Cheerfulness for Older Adults

Cheerfulness and positive affect play a critical role in decreasing mortality risks and enhancing well-being and longevity. However, limited research has examined longitudinal relationships between digital technology ownership/adoption (e.g., cell phones and computers) and changes in cheerfulness of older adults (Bixter, Blocker, Rogers, 2018; Seifert, Hofer, & Rössel, 2018). The current study investigated whether cell phone and computer ownership/adoption are related to improved cheerfulness among older people over an 11-year period. Data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) was used. NHATS interviewed participants aged 65 and over since 2011 and annually thereafter. Data from 11 waves were used in this current study, and the sample size was 17355 participants at baseline. Self-rated cheerfulness (on a 5-point scale) was the outcome variable. Longitudinal multilevel modeling examined the following variables as time-invariant predictors: cell phone ownership/adoption (dichotomous yes/no), and computer ownership/adoption (dichotomous yes/no to having a desktop or laptop with Internet access). Covariates were age group, sex, years of education, and self-rated health. Interactions between time and cell phone ownership, and time and computer ownership, were also examined. While cell phone ownership at baseline significantly predicted cheerfulness (p=0.06), it did not significantly interact with time, so it did not predict changes in cheerfulness. However, computer ownership did significantly interact with time to predict increases in cheerfulness (estimate=0.006, p=0.028). This study indicated that potential technology ownership and/or adoption of older adults could predict pleasurable emotions (i.e., cheerfulness) in later life, above and beyond demographic and health factors. We consider the potential to incorporate computer adoption in efforts to promote healthy aging. Future research could examine the potential contributing factors of computer ownership and/or adoption (e.g., online connections to others and the world, enjoyment, convenience in information retrieving sense of safety or security,) and its roles in generating cheerful emotions among older adults.