Tech use and isolation in elderly Singaporeans

SINGAPORE – Mr Ho Khee Tong, 75, lives in an assisted-living flat managed by Red Crowns Senior Living, sharing the space with four other seniors and a live-in caregiver.

By far the heaviest user of digital devices in the senior care home, he appreciates the perk of having fast Wi-Fi. When his roommates gather in the living room around the television, he rarely joins them.

A retired commercial photographer and graphic designer who spent more than 20 years living in China, Mr Ho, who is divorced with adult children, is highly tech-savvy.

On his laptop, he watches YouTube for news and streams Chinese dramas on Olevod. He also scrolls through TikTok and the Chinese social networking platform RedNote, though he admits he is less interested in the latter.

His iPhone 11 is rarely out of reach. By night, it doubles as his alarm clock and a lifeline, reminding him to take his medication for Parkinson’s disease. By day, it is his compass and concierge, managing everything from online banking and navigating the city to choosing where, and even what, to eat.

“Whenever my phone battery dips below 70 per cent, I make sure to charge it. I need it to never die when I’m outside,” he says.

Mr Ho recalls a day when his phone stopped working.

“My phone stopped working for a day. I was at a loss. It was terrifying and isolating,” he says, adding that he was also surprised by his reaction. Years of relying on his phone in Beijing – for communication, navigation and payments – had carried over into retirement, making the device indispensable.

Much of his daily routine now revolves around a WhatsApp group of more than a dozen old school friends and long stretches of solo time. He spends hours scrolling, watching videos or playing games, including Sudoku puzzles.

There are drawbacks to his habit.

He has longstanding neck pain from years of computer work and carrying heavy cameras, which has worsened recently. He suspects extended phone use may be a factor. In January, he began seeing a chiropractor to deal with the pain.

Even so, Mr Ho does not view his screen habits as problematic.

“The benefits of technology are mostly good,” he says.

He feels he has enough self-discipline to prevent himself from becoming addicted to screens.

“(When you are addicted to something), you can’t live without it. You miss it without a valid reason at moments when you’re not doing anything physically. Just like a smoker thinking of cigarettes the moment he is free,” he says.

According to addiction specialist Munidasa Winslow, many seniors might sometimes miss the signs of addiction.

As they are no longer missing work or major obligations, they may not experience an immediate, visible cost to excessive screen use, unlike gambling, which can lead to financial losses, or substance abuse, affecting job performance.

As a result, many screen-compulsive seniors do not see their behaviour as a problem.

Older patients rarely seek Dr Winslow out for help with screen addiction.

More often, he says, they seek help for issues such as depression, anxiety or insomnia, but these can also be symptoms of excessive screen use.

Families of seniors who insist they do not have an internet addiction should instead look out for concrete signs.

These include choosing their phone, YouTube or WhatsApp over family time even when others are physically present; saying “I’m busy” when they are simply online; or no longer initiating or accepting social invitations they once enjoyed.

Dr Winslow calls digital addictions “secret killers” because they quietly displace real-world connections.

“They slowly suck away important things from your life, like spending time with your kids or grandkids or family… and they allow you to think that what you’re doing is very important.”