Paper short abstract:

This ethnographic study explores how Facebook plays a vital role in the lives of elderly Filipino women: from a simple communication tool to a digital community center, a shopping platform, a telehealth service, and even a place for worship.

Paper long abstract:

In rural provinces of the Philippines, traditional family structures have been disrupted by the migration of younger generations in search of better work opportunities. This has left an aging Filipino population isolated in their rural homes, often tasked with taking care of young grandchildren while their parents work. At the same time, government services meant to address this new problem have been slow to develop, prompting many older Filipinos to turn to the digital world for support.

This ethnographic study, conducted in a rural town in North Luzon approximately eight hours away from the capital of Manila, explores how elderly women use social media to navigate their changing lives. What began as a way to communicate with family has evolved into a multifunctional tool: a digital community center, a marketplace, a telehealth service, and a space for religious practices, among others. These platforms provide elderly women a space to foster connections and access resources otherwise unavailable to them. This research further highlights how using ICTs has increased their ability to maintain agency and redefine their roles even as the world outside becomes limited, gaining greater access to the world and asserting their voices and identities in new and transformative ways.