note that older people who are physically isolated and have lower social sup-port may benefit from social uses of the Internet. And, White et al. (2002, p. 220) suggest that older adults may ‘‘develop new social activity to replace activities that have become more difficult for them to perform and to strengthen existing social ties with family and friends through the Internet.’’ Increased contact with social network ties helps individuals feel close to others, which impacts their sense of mattering and mental health (Cotten, 2008, 2009).