A new study has suggested that over-60s who relied on virtual contact have felt more lonely amid the COVID pandemic.
A Zoom call
The report, published in the journal Frontiers in Sociology, found that face-to-face contact is central to "enhanced mental wellbeing".
Dr Yang Hu of Lancaster University told the BBC: "Virtual contact on its own is not beneficial to older adults' mental health."
The research was conducted by Dr Hu and Dr Yue Qian, at the University of British Columbia, and they looked at people aged 60 or over in the UK and in the US.
They explained: "In both countries, the increase in loneliness following the outbreak of the pandemic was greater for older adults who reported more virtual contact."
The research indicated that virtual contact is linked to loneliness. However, according to the study, it's not necessarily the cause of the feelings.
The academic duo observed: "It is possible that people who felt more isolated and lonelier tended to make virtual contact more frequently."
Although an increasing number of people aged 60 or over have turned to digital forms of communication - like the Zoom app - amid the the pandemic, Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, has warned of the potentially negative impact it can have.
She told the Guardian newspaper: "We know the virtual environment can exacerbate those feelings of not actually being there with loved ones in person."