Media społecznościowe jako narzędzie aktywizacji osób starszych w okresie pandemii COVID-19: Analiza funkcjonowania na Facebooku organizacji wybranych z czterech polskich miast

Abstract

The restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic limited the functioning of society as a whole. For organizations working in the field of social activation, e.g., for older people, this meant that existing activities came to a stop. Was it, therefore, possible to continue activating older people? The aim of this study is to identify the ways in which selected organizations in Poland tried to cope with this situation through their Facebook pages. Posts from 20 accounts run by entities involved in the social activation of older people in four provincial cities were analyzed. As a result of a thematic analysis of the collected posts, it was possible to determine the spectrum in which the examined pages functioned, i.e., from a creator of reality providing the latest information, to a close friend who cares for, helps, and even talks to the recipients. Also connected to this was the form of activation carried out on the sites. The research revealed varying degrees of participation in activities conducted by organizations and institutions, and the conclusions presented here are a contribution to research into social media in public policy and the activation of older people.