Redes sociais digitais e apoio no envelhecimento

Abstract

The social support network, with the passage of time, changes that are related to the life cycle transitions and the loss of papers exercised socially. The elderly are more susceptible to the emptying of social relations, which contribute to the occurrence of social isolation and loneliness, and may influence on the decline of physical and psychological health. Polls indicate that tools like Facebook facilitate the strengthening of the social network, by closing and allowing the expansion of family relationships and increasing the network of friends, especially those who are far away. Given this context, it's dissertation is organized into a scientific production, which sought to investigate whether Facebook contributes to social support in older adults. This study investigated whether Facebook contributed to social support in older adults. Participants were thirteen elderly, three men and ten women with a mean age of 62.38 (SD = 5.28), from the state of Rio Grande do Sul. For data collection was used a sample characterization questionnaire , Diagram Guard and the Scale of Social Support. After thirty-six meetings held, the results showed a significant increase in the structure of the social network through Facebook. The expansion of the network took place in internal circles (p = 0.046) and intermediate (p = 0.039), which contain the most intimate and close members. The variable Feel Respected (SR) denoted significant increase (p = 0.007), a member of the functional characteristics of the support network. The results assert the importance of digital networks and social support for successful aging