• Posted July 13, 2026

Smartphones Can Increase Seniors' Risk Of Depression

Smartphones can contribute to depression among seniors, depending on how they’re using the devices, a new study says.

Older folks who compulsively use their phones to scroll news, watch videos or play games alone are more likely to withdraw from others, increasing their depression risk, researchers report in the journal JMIR Aging.

“It comes down to purposeful interaction versus compulsive escapism,” said senior researcher Chien-Chung Huang, a professor at the Rutgers School of Social Work in New Brunswick, New Jersey. “The same device can bridge the gap to loved ones and community or serve as a wall to shut them out.”

For the new study, researchers surveyed nearly 2,600 adults 60 and older living in 87 communities in China. As part of the survey, participants reported on their smartphone habits and filled out questions related to depression symptoms.

Results showed that seniors were most likely to develop depression if they had limited social participation with others, followed closely by smartphone addiction.

Problematic reliance on smartphones appeared in nearly all cases of diagnosed depression, researchers found. Seniors who rarely used their phones to communicate with others were at greatest risk.

“When an older adult uses their phone as a shield to substitute or displace real-life social participation, it acts as a major red flag for depression,” Huang said in a news release.

The findings suggest smartphones can support well-being if used to maintain relationships through video calls, messaging and photo sharing, researchers said.

Two groups were especially vulnerable to depression, researchers found.

The first included older men with less formal education who had signs of smartphone addiction. They aren’t able to navigate complex apps, which makes them more likely to use the phones for passive entertainment.

These men could be at higher risk if they’ve relied heavily on their spouse or partner for social connection and have fewer family or community connections.

“When they lose a partner or become isolated, they can be left without the same social buffers,” Huang said. “Their phone becomes an isolating crutch rather than a bridge.”

The other group was seniors with high incomes and education levels who suffer from smartphone addiction, suggesting that wealth and education won’t protect against loneliness if screen time replaces real-world connections.

“Over time, passive digital consumption can begin to replace the real-world interactions that help protect mental health,” deepening isolation and worsening depressive symptoms, Huang said.

Family and friends should encourage older adults to use phones in ways that support interaction rather than solitary entertainment, Huang said. You don’t need to discourage smartphone use, but show how it can be more social and purposeful.

“Instead of leaving a senior to scroll videos alone, family members can involve them in photo-sharing loops, text threads and scheduled video calls that help bridge intergenerational gaps,” Huang said.

More information

The National Institute on Aging has more about depression and older adults.

SOURCE: Rutgers University, news release, July 1, 2026