Older Adults and Communication Technologies During the Lockdown in Romania

Current available data suggest that already vulnerable populations are being disproportionately affected by the COVID 19 epidemic. The same is valid for older adults, who have been labeled at the beginning of the pandemic as a high-risk population and advised to be precautious in meeting others and take part in large gatherings. In the current study, we use data from 12 semi-structured interviews conducted between 15th and 30th of May 2020, in Romania, with old adults aged 65 and above, from urban and rural areas. The interviews approached topics such as use of technology during the pandemic, ways of obtaining information about the COVID-19 pandemic and overall challenges experienced during the pandemic. The findings reveal that digital technologies have been used more during the pandemic than before, especially in the urban areas. Family communication via digital technologies revolved around pandemic related topics, everyday life, and safety measures. Contrary to popular believes, Romanian seniors consumed information about the COVID-19 pandemic with caution, triangulating sources of information from several TV channels and social media. Lastly, seniors’ greatest challenge was the lack of physical contact with family members and physical movement, particularly related to their daily routines. They have used social media to cope with the loneliness of being apart from their children and grandchildren, and some even reconnected with older friends or distant family members.