摘要：The purpose of this study was to examine the levels of social benefit that the 50-year-old and older adults gained from Facebook. For this aim, two studies were carried out in this research. 233 people participated in Study 1 and Facebook Social Benefit Scale (FSBS) was developed for the 50-year-old and older adults. In Study 2, which included another group of 259 people, Facebook social benefit levels were investigated in terms of gender, age, education level, retirement status, time spent on Facebook and number of Facebook friends. Data were collected via Facebook Social Benefit Scale (FSBS) and demographic information form. In the data analysis of the study, the LISREL program was used for the confirmatory factor analysis of the FSBS, while the SPSS program was used for the other analysis. The findings of this research indicated that the FSBS was a valid and reliable measuring tool. Moreover, the 50-year-old and older adults obtained social benefit from Facebook. The Facebook social benefit levels of these individuals did not vary according to gender and education level whereas they varied depending on age, retirement status, time spent on Facebook and number of Facebook friends. Depending on the results it can be said that Facebook is a useful and a common socialization tool for 50-year old and older adults in Turkey. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in examining the internet use by old-age adults but this interest has heavily focused on ageing and learning computer use, while their experiences on the internet have been ignored. Considering this situation, it can be stated that this research will contribute to the literature about old-age adults’ socialization patterns on the internet.
其他关键词：Social sciences, developmental psychology, adulthood, middle and old adults, online social benefit, Facebook use, social needs
