As societies across the world age, concern turns to how best to manage this demographic transition as successfully as possible.  A growing understanding of the danger posed by isolation has prompted many to argue for more to be done to bolster the social networks of older people, but what kind of networks work best?

New research from the University of Leeds attempts to find out whether quality or quantity is best for the social networks of older adults.  The research was driven by the image of older people’s social networks as being a contributor to their feelings of loneliness.

“Stereotypes of aging tend to paint older adults in many cultures as sad and lonely,” the researchers say. “But the research shows that older adults’ smaller networks didn’t undermine social satisfaction and well-being. In fact, older adults tend to report better well-being than younger adults.”

Quality vs quantity

The researchers analyzed data from a couple of editions of RAND Corp.’s American Life Panel.with volunteers quizzed on their social networks, both in a close sense (friends and family), and a tangential sense, such as coworkers or people who regularly provide a service.  They were asked how much contact they had with these people, whether by phone, email, internet or face to face, over the past six months.  They were also asked about their physical and emotional health over the same timeframe.

The data showed that older adults do indeed seem to have smaller networks than younger adults, but much of this difference was in the number of ‘weak ties’.  When it comes to close friends, people had pretty much the same regardless of their age.

This matters, because it was the number of close friends that was key to the health and wellbeing of each individual, with peripheral contacts largely inconsequential.  What’s more, this phenomenon was consistent regardless of the age of the volunteers.

It’s a finding the researchers hope will be absorbed by policymakers increasingly keen on boosting the physical and mental wellbeing of a steadily aging population.

“Loneliness has less to do with the number of friends you have, and more to do with how you feel about your friends,” they conclude. “It’s often the younger adults who admit to having negative perceptions of their friends. Loneliness occurs in people of all ages. If you feel lonely, it may be more helpful to make a positive connection with a friend than to try and seek out new people to meet.”