Elderly happier with popular entertainment

Older people who attend popular (lowbrow) forms of amusement, such as concerts, cabaret and movies, seem happier and less lonely than elderly who undertake highbrow cultural activities like theater, opera, ballet and visiting an art gallery, research shows.

The leisure research, led by Vera Toepoel, consisted of a questionnaire drawn up by research institute CentERdata at Tilburg University. By the questionnaire a representative group of Dutch could indicate which cultural activities they undertake, how they feel socially and how satisfied they are with their lives.

Elderly people said they meet other people less frequently than respondents under 55 years. They also indicated to feel lonely significantly more often. Elderly who undertake popular cultural activities said to feel happier and less lonely than elderly who do not attend popular cultural activities.

Toepoel concludes that, to better respond to the challenges of an aging society, public institutions that traditionally focus more on encouraging ‘higher’ forms of culture, could perhaps better concentrate on more accessible forms of entertainment.

The research results, with the title ‘Cultural participation of older adults: Investigating the contribution of lowbrow and highbrow activities to social integration and satisfaction with life’, are published in the International Journal of Disability and Human Development.

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