Reading between the ties: Solitary and social activities, network satisfaction, and loneliness in later life

Loneliness negatively impacts on the well-being of older adults, especially those with small social networks. While expanding networks and participating in social activities are commonly associated with lower loneliness, these strategies are not always feasible for everyone. Solitary activities, such as reading, may offer an alternative by relating to the subjective experience of loneliness and promoting satisfaction with existing networks. Using Waves 4–8 of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), we analyzed and compared how social and solitary activities moderated the relationship between core network size and loneliness among 31,935 participants aged 54 and above. We further conducted moderated mediation analyses to explore whether these activities moderate the association between network size and network satisfaction, which serves as a mediating path between network size and loneliness. Results show that daily engagement in solitary activities, particularly reading, was linked to lower loneliness among older adults with small social networks, with stronger associations than those observed for regular social activity participation, even after accounting for baseline loneliness, personality, changes in network size, and other sociodemographic factors. Network satisfaction helped explain the link between network size and loneliness, especially in relation to social activity. However, reading showed a broader protective effect that was associated with both greater satisfaction with one’s network and reduced loneliness, even beyond the role of satisfaction. These findings suggest that engaging in cognitively stimulating solitary activities, especially reading, may offer a meaningful alternative for individuals with a limited core network and at risk for loneliness.