Mobile phones have gained an important role in the personal communication of older
adults with the members of their social support networks. Research shows that older
adults increasingly use the mobile phone for maintenance and development of social interactions
with their family members, peers, and caregivers as providers of emotional support
and social companionship. Therefore, this study explores how retired older adults in
Slovenia use mobile phones as personal devices for supportive communication as well as
how the characteristics of their social support networks are related to the frequency of
mobile phone communication with their network members. Using ego-centered social
support network data, collected on a nationwide representative sample of retired older
adults in Slovenia, this study found that the composition of emotional support and of social
companionship networks scarcely predicts the frequency of mobile phone communication
of older adults with their network members. Conversely, according to the results, it seems
that more frequent in-person and landline phone communication with network members
are positively associated with mobile phone communication, suggesting that older adults
extend their communication sphere with a mobile phone in their support networks.
Finally, the results indicate that sociodemographic characteristics of older adults, such as
age, social-economic status, and living alone, significantly determine the frequency of
mobile communication with their network members, even though their magnitude varies
depending on the type of social support network.
Mobile phones have gained an important role in the personal communication of olderadults with the members of their social support networks. Research shows that olderadults increasingly use the mobile phone for maintenance and development of social interactionswith their family members, peers, and caregivers as providers of emotional supportand social companionship. Therefore, this study explores how retired older adults inSlovenia use mobile phones as personal devices for supportive communication as well ashow the characteristics of their social support networks are related to the frequency ofmobile phone communication with their network members. Using ego-centered socialsupport network data, collected on a nationwide representative sample of retired olderadults in Slovenia, this study found that the composition of emotional support and of socialcompanionship networks scarcely predicts the frequency of mobile phone communicationof older adults with their network members. Conversely, according to the results, it seemsthat more frequent in-person and landline phone communication with network membersare positively associated with mobile phone communication, suggesting that older adultsextend their communication sphere with a mobile phone in their support networks.Finally, the results indicate that sociodemographic characteristics of older adults, such asage, social-economic status, and living alone, significantly determine the frequency ofmobile communication with their network members, even though their magnitude varies
depending on the type of social support network.
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