Older adults want to express themselves with emojis, they just don’t understand how to
Improving older adults’ understanding of emojis use could help combat ageism, reduce loneliness, according to new study from University of Ottawa
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A NEW STUDY FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA IS PROVIDING INSIGHT INTO HOW DIFFERENT GENERATIONS ARE INTERPRETING THE USE OF EMOJIS IN THEIR COMMUNICATIONS, WITH OLDER ADULTS UNSURE OF HOW TO USE THEM AS FREQUENTLY AS YOUNGER ADULTS DESPITE UNDERSTANDING THEIR MEANING.
view moreCREDIT: ALBERTE DE MANUELLA, UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA
A new study from the University of Ottawa is providing insight into how different generations are interpreting the use of emojis in their communications, with older adults unsure of how to use them as frequently as younger adults despite understanding their meaning.
The stereotype of older adults being unable or unwilling to adapt to new forms of lingo like emojis may not be accurate, according to research from the University of Ottawa (uOttawa)which suggests older adults understand their meanings but lack the confidence to incorporate them in their technology-mediated interactions.
“We found that older users are less likely to use emojis, use fewer emojis, and feel less comfortable in their ability to interpret emojis,” says the study’s lead author Isabelle Boutet, an Associate Professor in the School of Psychology (Faculty of Social Sciences) at uOttawa. “Our results, together with those of other studies, suggest that reduced accuracy in emoji interpretation does not drive these age-related effects.”
Measuring emoji adaptation
This first comprehensive investigation into inter-generational emoji use including adults over 60 allowed the capture of age and generation-related differences in emoji use. Researchers measured emoji adoption (frequency, diversity, ease of interpretation, and interpretation accuracy) to understand how age influences emoji use.
The emoji representing surprise – the graphic featuring the small yellow face looking speechless with its eyes wide open and eyebrows raised – proved to be the most difficult emoji to interpret for older adults. Happiness was the next most difficult to interpret.
The use of emojis by increasing age revealed how users perceive emojis as difficult to use, have less confidence in their ability to use them, and are less likely to use technology where emojis are pervasive.
“This pattern of results leads us to conclude that older users have the motivation and ability to utilize emojis, but they lack the confidence and general technology expertise needed to adapt to this mode of communication,” says Boutet.
Helping older users
Boutet believes it is important to promote the use of emojis for older adults because of their communicative function and ability to facilitate intergenerational interactions, reduce loneliness, and help users of all ages fulfill their social and emotional goals.
“Software developers could consider modifying existing emoji menus to facilitate their use across generations by, for example, making unambiguous emojis which older users are able to interpret more easily accessible. Training interventions should also be incorporated to existing community-based programs to help older users to incorporate emojis in their online interactions,” adds Boutet.
French version: A new study from the University of Ottawa is providing insight into how different generations are interpreting the use of emojis in their communications, with older adults unsure of how to use them as frequently as younger adults despite understanding their meaning.
CREDIT
Alberte De Manuella, University of Ottawa
JOURNAL
Computers in Human Behavior Reports
METHOD OF RESEARCH
Computational simulation/modeling
SUBJECT OF RESEARCH
People
ARTICLE TITLE
Are older adults adapting to new forms of communication? A study on emoji adoption across the adult lifespan
Factors associated with age-related hearing loss differ between males and females
Weight, smoking, and hormone exposure show varying links with risk of age-related hearing loss, per study of 2,349 males and females
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THE STUDY SUGGESTS THAT FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH AGE-RELATED HEARING LOSS DIFFER BETWEEN MALES AND FEMALES.
view moreCREDIT: MARK PATON, UNSPLASH, CC0 (HTTPS://CREATIVECOMMONS.ORG/PUBLICDOMAIN/ZERO/1.0/)
Certain factors associated with developing age-related hearing loss differ by sex, including weight, smoking behavior, and hormone exposure, according to a study published on March 6, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Dong Woo Nam from Chungbuk National University Hospital, South Korea, and colleagues.
Age-related hearing loss (ARHL), slowly-advancing difficulty in hearing high-frequency sounds, makes spoken communication more challenging, often leading to loneliness and depression. Roughly 1 in 5 people around the world suffer from hearing loss, and this number is expected to rise as the global population ages. Since ARHL is irreversible, identifying it early and taking preventative measures are especially important. To better understand the factors associated with ARHL, and how the relative influence of these factors is shaped by sex, the researchers analyzed check-up health examination data from 2,349 participants aged over 60. After gathering each participant’s medical history and performing blood tests, a body composition test, and a basic hearing test, they ran statistical analyses to identify factors most strongly associated with ARHL risk for males and females.
The researchers found that while some factors – such as age – were associated with ARHL regardless of gender, others were differently associated with ARHL risk in males and females. For example, while being underweight showed a significant association with ARHL in males, both low weight and obesity showed significant associations in females. Smoking was associated with increased ARHL risk in males only, who were far more likely than females to identify as smokers in this sample population. Females who started menstruating at an earlier age were less likely to develop ARHL later in life, pointing towards a possible protective effect of the hormone estrogen.
This study does not allow elucidation of causal relationships between these factors and hearing loss, and further experimental studies will be necessary to confirm and better interpret these findings. However, the authors propose that assessing and counseling patients about their smoking behavior, weight, and menstruation may help improve screening and preventative treatment for ARHL.
The authors add: “Hearing loss should be prevented, even it is related to aging.”
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In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS ONE: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0298048
Citation: Nam DW, Park M-H, Jeong SJ, Lee KL, Kim JW, Jeong JB (2024) Sex differences in associated factors for age-related hearing loss. PLoS ONE 19(3): e0298048. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0298048
Author Countries: Republic of Korea
Funding: The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.
JOURNAL
PLoS ONE
METHOD OF RESEARCH
Observational study
SUBJECT OF RESEARCH
People
ARTICLE TITLE
Sex differences in associated factors for age-related hearing loss
ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE
6-Mar-2024
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