Sex and Love Among Older Adults in the Digital World: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Abstract Background and Objectives The digital world offers opportunities for sex and love and also reflects societal stereotypes regarding sex and love among older adults. The aim of the current review is to look at the ways older adults use digital media for sex and love and also at digital media’s representations of older adults. Research Design and Methods We searched for studies published in English that used qualitative and/or quantitative methods, with findings based on empirical data from individuals 55 years of age or older. The following data sets were searched: PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and CINAHL. Bibliographies of all relevant studies were searched. Titles and abstracts were reviewed, and selected articles were extracted independently by 2 reviewers. Results A total of 1,819 records were retrieved. After removing duplicates, 1,488 records remained. Of these, 70 records remained for full-text screening, and a final count of 15 records was included for synthesis. Discussion and Implications The present review highlights major research gaps in the field. Although studies have indeed focused on the online dating scene among this cohort, they have ignored older adults’ sexuality in favor of other aspects (e.g., love and companionship). Representations of this cohort in terms of love and sex are also lacking, and diversity is hardly addressed. Additional research is needed to examine how older adults use digital media for reasons related to love and sex, and how the media mirrors societal stereotypes regarding sex and love among older adults.