Older Adults’ Information Use on Social Media: The Role of Psychological Needs and Personality Traits

This study explores how basic psychological needs and personality traits relate to the types of information that older adults use on social media platforms. Relying on a nationally representative survey of 1100 German Facebook and Instagram users aged 60+, it examines the relationship between three psychological needs—autonomy, competence, and relatedness—and four types of information use: undirected, topic-related, group-related, and problem-related. The study also explores associations with fear of missing out (FOMO), political interest, and openness to experience. Findings indicate that the need for relatedness and FOMO are key predictors of older adults’ information use, emphasizing the social motivations behind their social media engagement. Notably, Facebook is more frequently used than Instagram across all types of information use. These insights provide a deeper understanding of the interactions between psychological needs, personality traits, and information behaviors among older adults, informing future research on their social media usage.