Opportunities For Social Connection Research Articles

Opening Pandora’s box - key facilitators of practice change in detecting and responding to childhood adversity - a practitioner perspective

BackgroundChildhood adversities worsen physical and mental health across the lifespan. Health and social care practitioners play a key role in identifying and responding to childhood adversity, however, may be reluctant to do so due to a perceived lack of services to refer to, time pressures and a deficit of training and confidence. We aimed to (1) quantify changes in practitioner comfort and confidence to identify and respond to childhood adversity following a multimodal intervention within an integrated child and family health and social care hub and (2) to understand barriers and facilitators of practice change.MethodsHub practitioners were surveyed about their competence and comfort to directly ask about and confidence to respond to adversity at baseline and then at six and twelve months post training. Interviews were undertaken to explore practitioner barriers and enablers of practice change. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The theoretical domains framework was used to identify the key drivers of practice change.ResultsFifteen of 18 practitioners completed all three surveys and 70% reported increased competence and comfort to directly ask, and confidence to respond across a range of adversities over the 12-month intervention. Twenty-one practitioners completed interviews. Six themes were identified as either facilitators or barriers to practice change. Facilitator themes included (1) connection matters, (2) knowledge provides assurance, (3) confidence in ability and (4) choosing change. Barrier themes were (1) never enough time and (2) opening Pandora’s box. Following analysis, key drivers of practice change were ‘social influence’, ‘belief in capability’, ‘knowledge’ and ‘behaviour regulation’ while barriers to practice change were ‘environmental context and resources’ and ‘emotion’.ConclusionsPractitioners reported improved confidence in identifying and responding to adversity through a multimodal intervention delivered in an integrated Child and Family Hub. Changing practice requires more than just education and training. Opportunities for social connection and coaching to improve self-confidence and perceived competence are needed to overcome the fear of opening Pandora’s box.

Cultivating a culture of excellence: Synthesizing employee engagement initiatives for performance improvement in LNG production

Cultivating a culture of excellence is paramount for success in LNG production, and employee engagement plays a central role in achieving this goal. This abstract explores the synthesis of various employee engagement initiatives aimed at enhancing performance in LNG production facilities. Effective employee engagement initiatives are essential for fostering a culture of excellence within LNG production facilities. By empowering employees and promoting a sense of ownership and commitment, organizations can unlock the full potential of their workforce and drive continuous improvement in performance. This abstract examines a range of employee engagement strategies tailored specifically for the unique challenges and demands of LNG production. These initiatives encompass various aspects of employee engagement, including communication, training and development, recognition and rewards, and fostering a supportive work environment. Communication lies at the heart of effective employee engagement. Open and transparent communication channels facilitate the exchange of ideas, feedback, and information, fostering collaboration and alignment towards common goals. Additionally, regular communication helps employees feel valued and informed, enhancing their sense of belonging and commitment to the organization. Investing in training and development opportunities is another critical aspect of employee engagement in LNG production. By providing employees with the skills and knowledge they need to excel in their roles, organizations can empower them to contribute meaningfully to the success of the operation. Continuous learning opportunities also demonstrate a commitment to employee growth and development, which can boost morale and job satisfaction. Recognition and rewards programs play a crucial role in reinforcing desired behaviors and motivating employees to perform at their best. Whether through monetary incentives, public recognition, or other forms of acknowledgment, recognizing employee contributions fosters a culture of appreciation and reinforces the organization's values. Finally, creating a supportive work environment that prioritizes employee well-being and work-life balance is essential for sustaining high levels of engagement and performance. Providing resources such as wellness programs, flexible work arrangements, and opportunities for social connection helps employees feel supported and valued, leading to greater job satisfaction and commitment. In summary, cultivating a culture of excellence in LNG production requires a multifaceted approach to employee engagement. By implementing a range of initiatives focused on communication, training and development, recognition and rewards, and fostering a supportive work environment, organizations can empower their employees to thrive and drive continuous improvement in performance. Keywords: Cultivating, Culture of Excellence, Performance Improvement, LNG Production, Employing Engagement Initiatives.

Social infrastructure, community organizations, and friendship formation: a scoping review

Abstract Community organizations are a unique part of the local social infrastructure that provides opportunities for social connections and community building. This contribution has been established in research on social capital and the research on social networks. Little research has looked specifically at the processes that lead to forming new relationships within community organizations. In this paper, we address this gap by looking specifically at the situational dynamics at community organizations that contribute to making new friends. We approach this question by conducting a scoping review, a systematic approach to research search and selection when conducting reviews. Our review identified 37 relevant pieces of research. The majority of the research we identify comes from Australia, Canada, the UK, and the USA. We discuss three themes addressing situational dynamics that emerged in the analysis: (1) the importance of structured programs and activities as prompts for connection, (2) creating spaces for informal interactions, and (3) emerging mutuality based on similarities and differences. We conclude with suggestions for how community organizations purposefully create these situational dynamics in their work.

Personalized Tablets for Residents in Long-Term Care to Support Recreation and Mitigate Isolation

ObjectivesThere is a digital divide in long-term care homes (LTCHs), with few residents having regular access to internet-connected devices. In this study, we provided long-term care residents with personalized and adapted tablets. We aimed to understand what factors influenced tablet use and the impact of tablet access on opportunities for social connection and recreation. DesignA pragmatic, mixed-methods multicenter, open-label, uncontrolled interventional study with assessment of outcomes at baseline and 3 months. Setting and ParticipantsA total of 58 resident-care partner dyads were recruited across 7 LTCHs in Ontario, Canada. The main inclusion criterion was having a care partner willing to participate, and we excluded residents who already had an internet-connected device. MethodsResident demographics, functional status assessments, and recreational engagement were captured using items from the Resident Assessment Instrument/Minimum Data Set. Care partners completed a questionnaire about relational closeness and site leads assessed resident quality of life before and approximately 3 months after tablet distribution. Interviews with 23 care partners and 7 residents post-implementation were completed and analyzed. ResultsThe median tablet use by participants was 7 minutes (interquartile range 27) per day on average over the study period. Predictors of higher tablet use were younger age, higher cognitive functioning, absence of hearing impairment, and having a care partner who lives farther away. There was no improvement on quantitative measures of quality of life, recreation, or relational closeness. In interviews, participants identified many different opportunities afforded by access to personalized tablets. Conclusions and ImplicationsSome LTCH residents without current access to the internet benefit from being provided a personal tablet and use it in a variety of ways to enrich their lives. There is a critical need to bridge the digital divide for this population.

Examining learners' engagement patterns and knowledge outcome in an experiential learning intervention for youth's social media literacy

Social media has become an integral part of youth's daily lives. Though it brings many benefits such as creative self-expression and opportunities for social connection and support, studies have revealed that exposure to cyberbullying, misinformation and disinformation, or phishing and scams pose great risks to youth's mental health and long-term development. There is no lack of education programs designed to teach youth media literacy, but very few offer experiential learning environments to support youth's development of social media literacy. Youth learners' engagement patterns and learning outcomes in such environments remain unknown. This study seeks to fill in this gap by examining how learners' engagement patterns predict learning outcomes (social media literacy) in a simulated environment that embodies the core components of experiential learning. Two types of data were collected from: 1) n = 150 youth participants in a controlled environment (“data from the classroom”), and 2) n = 3552 participants on the internet (“data in the wild”). The findings revealed learners' engagement patterns (e.g., time spent, completion rate of actions etc.) in different phases of experiential learning, and highlighted the importance of active participation (taking recommended actions instead of passively viewing the course content) in predicting better learning outcomes. This study contributes to understanding the relationship between learners' engagement patterns in experiential learning environments and their knowledge outcomes in social media literacy, and offers practical implications for the improvement of instructional design to enhance experiential learning.

CAREGIVER CHALLENGES: SOCIAL SUPPORT FOR DEMENTIA CARE OF OLDER ADULTS DURING HOSPICE ENROLLMENT

Abstract Every year, many ADRD patients rely on informal caregivers for providing care during hospice enrollment. Driven by dedication, these caregivers play a vital role. However, their responsibilities intensify over time, leading to emotional strain. Inadequate support causes burnout and stress. Limited research targets the unique needs of caregivers of ADRD patients enrolled in hospice. The purpose of this study was to describe the caregivers’ experiences regarding social support while providing care for older adults with ADRD in hospice. A qualitative descriptive approach was taken with semi-structured interviews of 20 caregivers of ADRD hospice patients (85% female; mean age [SD]: 63.75 [12.1]), including both Caucasian (70%) and African American (30%) individuals. Through content analysis, we identified three themes that described caregivers’ experiences with social support: 1) Changes in social life (e.g., homebound, stress, and family conflicts), 2) Opportunities for social connection (e.g., social support systems with family, friends), 3) Communication Modalities. These findings offer crucial insights into the diverse range of experiences caregivers face regarding social support. Additionally, it highlights the significance of caregivers needing assistance to sustain connections, take essential breaks, and adapt to shifts in their social environments. The challenges they confront and the positive elements of the support they receive are brought to light through this study. Further research into effective communication modalities and respite services could significantly enhance caregivers’ support.

Structured encounters and immigrant experiences of integration in Sweden

ABSTRACT The present paper investigates immigrants’ perceptions of the integration process, centering their perceptions of organizations and the built environment. To do so, we use the concepts formal structured encounters, or planned organizational activities intended to foster access to social connections and integration facilitators, and informal structured encounters, or unplanned, organic social connections and access to facilitators fostered by the physical arrangement of space. Drawing from in-depth interviews and ethnographic data gathered at two Swedish research sites, we examine how immigrants who participated in formal and informal structured encounters perceive these encounters affecting their integration experiences. We then compare how immigrants who have and have not participated in formal and informal structured encounters perceive the integration process overall. We find that immigrants who participated in formal structured encounters were able to access language and cultural learning as well as opportunities for social connections. Informal structured encounters rarely occurred. We also find that those who participated and did not participate in formal structured encounters perceived and experienced the integration process similarly: as never-ending and burdensome, with processual challenges and discrimination functioning as formidable hurdles. We conclude the paper by discussing the implications of our findings for future research and immigration policy.

What is the effect of intergenerational activities on the wellbeing and mental health of older people?: A systematic review.

Opportunities for social connection between generations have diminished over the last few decades around the world as a result of changes in the way that we live and work. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated loneliness for many with young and old being kept apart for safety. The Public Health England prevention concordat for better mental health (Office for Health Improvement and Disparities) aims to bring a prevention-focused approach to improving public mental health. The concordat promotes evidence-based planning and commissioning to increase the impact on reducing health inequalities using sustainable and cost-effective interventions that impact on the wider determinants of mental health and wellbeing for children and young people and older people. Intergenerational activities could provide an opportunity to support both populations. In 2023, we produced an evidence and gap map to illustrate the amount and variety of research on intergenerational interventions and the gaps in research that still exist in this area. The review conducted here is based on the evidence in that map. This systematic review examines the impact of intergenerational interventions on the wellbeing and mental health of older people and identifies areas for future research as well as key messages for service commissioners. We searched an evidence and gap map published in 2022 (comprehensive searches conducted July 2021 and updated June 2023) to identify randomised controlled trials of intergenerational interventions that report mental health and wellbeing outcomes for older people. Randomised controlled trials of intergenerational interventions that involved unrelated younger and older people with at least one skipped generation between them and reported mental health or wellbeing outcomes for older people were included in this review. We used standard methodological procedures expected by The Campbell Collaboration. We conducted data extraction and Cochrane risk of bias assessments in EPPI reviewer. Where data allowed meta-analyses were conducted in STATA. This review includes 14 trials from six different countries. The trials had some important methodological weaknesses. Interventions were mainly delivered in-person and often in groups. They included visiting programmes, school volunteering programmes, music-based interventions and task-oriented interventions such as activities set in a multigenerational park, reminiscing activities, aggression management programmes, learning a language, making local environmental changes and in-school project work. Intergenerational interventions showed a small positive trend towards improving self-esteem (effect size [ES]: 0.33, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.35, 1.01) and depression (ES: 0.19, 95% CI: -0.23, 0.60) for older people participating. However, due to the small study sizes and low number of studies available, we cannot be confident about any effects. The results for other mental health and wellbeing outcomes are reported but due to little overlap in similar assessments across the studies, we could not combine them to assess the strength of evidence. There were no data about social isolation, spiritual health or sense of community. There are no long-term studies and no data on equity. We still know very little about what works and how or why. Whilst some interventions do use theories and logic to inform their development others do not. More exploration of this is needed. Commissioners and intervention developers should ensure interventions provide sufficient theoretical evidence for the logic behind the proposed intervention and should improve their consideration of equity within the interventions Research on intergenerational interventions need more consistent and agreed measures for reporting outcomes including community outcomes (core outcome sets). More understanding is needed on how best to measure 'community' outcomes. Research on intergenerational interventions should measure outcomes for BOTH the older and younger population engaged in the intervention-these may or may not be the same outcomes reflected in both populations. Further research is needed on the long-term impact of interventions on outcomes (whether participants need to keep being involved in an 'intervention' to continue to benefit) and sustainability of interventions beyond the initial funding of the research project. Supporting this our stakeholders highlighted that interventions that are initiated for research and then end (usually within a year) are not helpful.

Work of HeArt: Addressing Educator Compassion Fatigue with Art Therapy

ABSTRACT Kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) educators across the country are experiencing compassion fatigue from extended amounts of time with children reporting adverse childhood experiences. Additional stress from teaching through the COVID-19 pandemic has also led to burnout in United States’ educators, compounding the effects of both phenomena. An impending educator shortage may occur if the mental health of educators is not addressed. A series of mindfulness-based art therapy workshops designed to address compassion fatigue were implemented at an elementary school in a large Midwestern city. Thirty-four kindergarten and first-grade educators participated in eight monthly workshops over the course of one academic year. Workshops were designed based on a needs assessment completed by the educators. Results of the post-workshop questionnaire suggested that mindfulness-based art therapy was beneficial in addressing compassion fatigue. Five overarching themes about the program were identified from the questionnaires. Participants indicated that 1) allowing space for creativity, 2) learning creative ways to manage stress, 3) having opportunities for social connections, 4) discovering useful tools to express themselves, and 5) having dedicated time for themselves were all benefits reaped from the workshops. Participants overwhelmingly (93%) agreed that the workshops helped address compassion fatigue.

Engaging Nigerian Older Persons in Neighborhood Environment Assessment for Physical Activity Participation: A Citizen Science Project.

Global organizations are advocating that older persons' voices should guide communities in age-friendly design. An important aspect of age friendliness to enable daily function and health is ensuring that physical activity can occur, regardless of age, within local neighborhoods. This study used a specific citizen science approach, Our Voice, to engage a sample (N = 13) of older adults (60 or older) in Festac Town, Nigeria. The citizen scientists' roles were to assess and identify how different aspects of the neighborhood environment act as supports or barriers to their physical activity participation. They were individually enabled using a tablet-based mobile application called the Stanford Healthy Neighborhood Discovery Tool to record a total of 156 geocoded photos and 151 commentaries of neighborhood environmental features that facilitate or hinder physical activity in and around their neighborhoods. In a guided process, the following occurred: collaborative discussions of findings with other citizen scientists to determine common targets, setting of priority targets for change, and brainstorming strategies and solutions. Facilitators of physical activity included: pedestrian and traffic facilities (e.g., traffic lights, walkways); green areas and parks; multigenerational community features (e.g., programs/facilities); opportunities for social connection (e.g., neighborhood associations, churches); safety of destinations and services; and public toilets. Barriers to physical activity included: hazardous walkways/traffic; noise pollution; refuse, selling of public parks; crime (e.g., kidnapping, criminal hideouts); no safe drinking water; and ageism. The priorities for changes were social connectivity; improved pedestrian and traffic facilities; and green and beautiful environments. In this study, both physical and social aspects of the environment were deemed important for older Nigerians to enable physical activity in their local community. This approach has a promise for age-friendly initiatives seeking local changes by meaningfully engaging older adults.

Non-familial intergenerational interventions and their impact on social and mental wellbeing of both younger and older people-A mapping review and evidence and gap map.

Non-familial intergenerational interventions and their impact on social and mental wellbeing of both younger and older people-A mapping review and evidence and gap map.

The Health and Well-being Impacts of Community Shared Meal Programs for Older Populations: A Scoping Review.

There are social and economic benefits to supporting individuals to live independently for as long as possible. Structured shared meal programs provide opportunities for older individuals to connect in their communities and likely impact their health and well-being. Research in this area has not been summarized in recent years. This scoping review was undertaken to explore the impact shared meal programs may have for older community-dwelling adults. Nine databases were systematically searched in 2020, and 5,996 unique studies were identified. Two independent reviewers screened titles, abstracts, and full text for inclusion. Reference lists of included papers were hand searched, and the search was updated in 2021. Eighteen studies were included in the final review. Studies were published between 1980 and 2021 and most were published in the United States. Most studies were cross-sectional, two adopted a qualitative design, one a cohort design. Significant associations were reported between shared meal programs and improved dietary intake; however, minimal improvements were reported for physical health measures. The programs had a positive impact on attendees' social networks and perceived well-being. Structured shared meal programs show promise in supporting the health and well-being of older adults in the community. They provide additional nutrition, opportunities for social connection, and are perceived to contribute to perceived well-being. More investigation is required to understand how these programs work to facilitate health and well-being, and how they can best be used to improve health outcomes for older populations.

Characterizations of Resilience in Poststroke Aphasia

The definitions and features ofresilience, the process and outcome of successfully responding to adversity, are variable across the disability and rehabilitation literatures, and its influence on aphasia treatment and outcomes is as of yet unknown. This scoping review identified and thematically categorized characterizations and descriptions of resilience and the similarly used termsadaptation,adjustment, andcopingin the aphasia research literature. Frequently noted features of resilience included internal/cognitive emotional responses, such as positive self-concept, attitude/outlook, and psychological function, as well as external/behavioral responses, such as engaging in new activities and opportunities for social connection. These general features align with a definition of resilience recently developed for individuals with chronic impairment. And, although little information about the influence of resilience on treatment engagement and outcomes emerged from the reviewed literature, a number of clinical considerations and research directions are suggested.

Including the majority: Examining the local social interactions of renters in four case study condominiums in Sydney

ABSTRACT Although an ever-increasing number of social interactions are taking place virtually, people’s relationships with their neighbors remain important. Apartment residents make up a growing proportion of the population in cities worldwide, but there is evidence that many find it challenging to form and maintain local social connections, especially those renting their home. This can negatively impact physical and mental health, and have implications for the management of apartment complexes and local area social sustainability. In this paper, we draw on interviews (n = 41) with renters of four large case study condominium complexes in Sydney, Australia, to investigate their local social interactions. The findings reveal that while many renters desire greater local connection, their opportunities and motivations are limited by factors relating to mobility, tenure security, prejudice, and exclusion from building-related governance. The paper concludes by considering the scope for interventions in design, management and governance to enhance opportunities for social connection.

Pathways to program entry: Factors promoting entry and participation in veteran peer-support programs

Given the documented underutilization of community-based services by veterans, this study aims to identify factors promoting engagement in programs. Qualitative data from interviews with 154 veterans in peer support programs were analyzed to identify factors promoting program entry and participation. Findings confirm the importance of both internal and external factors for program engagement. Internal factors included feeling a sense of disconnection, dissatisfaction with other programs, emotional needs, concrete needs, and a desire to serve others. External factors included encouragement from others, program culture, and program climate. Implications for program development and evaluation are discussed. While much of the current literature on veterans focuses on individual characteristics promoting or impeding service use, this study provides insight into programmatic features such as culture and climate which foster participation and meaningful engagement. Ultimately, programs serving veterans need input and influence by veterans, and should emphasize peer support and other opportunities for social connection.

Pandemic Pressures in Universities and their Libraries: a View from Australia

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has heavily impacted Australian universities and their libraries but has been felt most strongly by students and staff who are already marginalised. This article, written by Kay Tucker and Becky Batagol, draws upon both published literature and the authors’ own experiences as a librarian and academic employed at Monash University, Australia's largest university. Important lessons from the pandemic for universities and university libraries at times of crisis and disaster include: actively recognising and responding to structural inequalities amongst students and staff; organising services so that all can participate to their fullest ability; providing students with opportunities for social connection, enhanced digital capabilities, safe and inclusive spaces and accessible materials; as well as flexible employment practices.

Social reward and support effects on exercise experiences and performance: Evidence from parkrun.

There is growing academic, civic and policy interest in the public health benefits of community-based exercise events. Shifting the emphasis from competitive sport to communal activity, these events have wide appeal. In addition to physical health benefits, regular participation can reduce social isolation and loneliness through opportunities for social connection. Taking a broad evolutionary and social psychological perspective, we suggest that social factors warrant more attention in current approaches to physical (in)activity and exercise behavior. We develop and test the hypothesis that social reward and support in exercise are associated with positive exercise experiences and greater performance outputs. Using a repeated-measures design, we examine the influence of social perceptions and behavior on subjective enjoyment, energy, fatigue, effort, and objective performance (run times) among a UK sample of parkrun participants. Social factors were associated with greater subjective enjoyment and energy. Higher subjective energy, in turn, was associated with faster run times, without any corresponding increase in perceived effort. No significant main effects of social factors on fatigue, performance or effort were detected. The role of social structural factors has long been recognized in public health approaches to physical activity. Our results indicate that there should be greater research attention on how positive and rewarding social behaviors and experiences—particularly subjective enjoyment and energy, and perceptions of community social support and belonging—influence exercise-related behavior, psychology and physiology, and promote health through collective physical activity. The research also supplements traditional emphases on social facilitation and team sport that have dominated sport and exercise psychology and offers new avenues for understanding the deep connections among psychological, social and physical function in everyday health.

The impact of a refurbishment programme on older people living in sheltered housing

Purpose This paper aims to explore residents' perceptions of a refurbishment programme to sheltered housing schemes and its impact on their well-being. Design/methodology/approach The methodology draws upon a realist evaluation framework. Four participatory appraisals (PAs) and 19 interviews with residents were conducted in the sheltered housing schemes. Ages of participants ranged from 50 to 99 years. Findings Two categories of residents were identified: healthy active older adults and older frail adults (or over 85+). Residents said their social and emotional well-being improved from the provision of indoor and outdoor communal areas. Older frail residents only accessed the new communal spaces when staff took them in their wheelchairs. The physical changes increased opportunities for social connections for residents. Conservatories and sensory gardens were most popular. Residents felt that structured activities in the new spaces and digital training would improve their social activities. Research limitations/implications The participatory methods spanned over an hour, and some residents felt too tired to complete the full session. Practical implications A practical limitation was that some sensory rooms were not fully completed at the time of the evaluation. Originality/value This paper adds the following: Perceptions of residents of a refurbishment programme in sheltered housing and the impact on their well-being. Perceptions of residents about social activities after a refurbishment programme. Perceptions of residents about the impact of physical changes to their sheltered housing schemes and impact on their internal accessibility to the improvements.

Individual- and group-level network-building interventions to address social isolation and loneliness: A scoping review with implications for COVID19.

Worldwide mandates for social distancing and home-quarantine have contributed to loneliness and social isolation. We conducted a systematic scoping review to identify network-building interventions that address loneliness and isolation, describe their components and impact on network structure, and consider their application in the wake of COVID19. We performed forward and backward citation tracking of three seminal publications on network interventions and Bibliographic search of Web of Science and SCOPUS. We developed data charting tables and extracted and synthesized the characteristics of included studies, using an iteratively updating form. From 3390 retrieved titles and abstracts, we included 8 studies. These interventions focused on building networks at either individual- or group-levels. Key elements that were incorporated in the interventions at varying degrees included (a) creating opportunities to build networks; (b) improving social skills; (c) assessing network diagnostics (i.e. using network data or information to inform network strategies); (d) promoting engagement with influential actors; and (e) a process for goal-setting and feedback. The effect of interventions on network structures, or the moderating effect of structure on the intervention effectiveness was rarely assessed. As many natural face-to-face opportunities for social connection are limited due to COVID19, groups already at risk for social isolation and loneliness are disproportionately impacted. Network-building interventions include multiple components that address both the structure of individuals' networks, and their skills and motivation for activating them. These intervention elements could be adapted for delivery via online platforms, and implemented by trained facilitators or novice volunteers, although more rigorous testing is needed.

Technology and Social Isolation Among Older Adults

In this paper, we use time-use data from the US (2003-2018) and the UK (2001-2015) to address important questions about recent trends in social isolation and technology use among older adults aged 65 and over. Do new information, communication and robotic technologies contribute to growing social isolation among older adults or to growing opportunities for social connection? We believe that answers to these questions require a consideration of technologies that are already widely in use. We ask whether TV time is social time or whether people spend most of their time watching TV by themselves, whether this has changed over the past 15 years and what the potential implications are for wellbeing among older adults. The results show that TV time is a mixed experience among older adults. In the US and the UK, a substantial proportion of TV time – around half – is spent alone, with those who are not married, those in rented accommodations and those with poorer self-rated health spending more time watching TV alone. Controlling for demographic and household characteristics, TV time alone has increased in recent years, accompanying an increase in time spent alone in general in the UK and an increase in TV time in general in the US. Analysis of moment-to-moment wellbeing shows that individuals report lower positive affect while watching TV alone than while watching with others, suggesting the increase in time spent watching TV alone may have negative implications wellbeing among older adults.