Interpersonal communication is the most primal form of communication between individuals and serves as the basic unit for all other forms of communication. Since all types of communication between humans usually have their starting point in communication between individuals, it becomes the basis for communication that takes place in a larger context than interpersonal relationships. Communication ability is an individual attribute necessary to maintain smooth interpersonal relationships and expand those relationships. When communication ability is high, the will to communicate with others is strengthened, and the higher the communication motivation, the better the communication ability appears to be. Therefore, for active communication to occur, individuals must perceive their communication ability as high. Also, the more frequent communication occurs, the higher the probability of building trust with each other, and based on this trust, interpersonal relationships become stronger, and furthermore, human ties with others expand.
Communication ability is the ability to perform the most appropriate and efficient words and actions in relationships based on interaction with others, so ultimately it allows maintaining smooth and broad interpersonal relationships. With the increase in the elderly population and growing interest in the quality of life of the elderly, communication activities of the elderly are attracting attention as being very highly related to elderly health. The elderly are at an age where they experience various life changes such as retirement from work, children leaving home, and the death of a spouse, including physical and cognitive degeneration. Due to problems arising from such physical and cognitive degeneration or generation gaps due to age differences, the elderly can experience various communication alienation, ranging from communication with family to communication with people met outside.
In old age, one retires from the work one has done all one's life, and because of this, the elderly experience a sense of helplessness while losing their professionalism through work. The feelings of alienation, loss, and helplessness experienced during this period can lead to problems such as depression in the elderly. Therefore, interpersonal communication alienation of the elderly can give a serious crisis to the elderly. Elderly people who have a lot of interpersonal communication between family and friends and actively engage in conversation communication through mobile phones feel less alienation, can spend a pleasant and happy aging process, receive less stress, and live long without anxiety or depression. However, it can be seen that many elderly people do not recognize the importance of communication activities and do not make special efforts to find communication targets or revitalize communication.
The most frequent problem appearing in interpersonal communication of the elderly is that when quarrels or conflict communication occur, the resolution method does not work properly. Usually, like other generations, the elderly also reveal their emotions with their own expressions when things do not go their way, when the other person's words or actions threaten them, or when they want to show their power to the other person. The problem is that this emotional response does not change even as one gets older. If such negative interpersonal communication works frequently, it is difficult to dream of successful aging. As defined earlier, successful aging is successfully adapting oneself to physical, social, psychological, and environmental situations, because if quarrels or conflicts are not resolved and accumulate, it is difficult to adapt to the situation.
The most important fellowship while spending old age is the relationship with friends who are of similar age or have similar hobbies. Many studies have said that fellowship gives important self-esteem or a sense of role in old age. For the elderly, overall life satisfaction is influenced by meaningful people such as spouses, children, relatives, and friends. In particular, among the interpersonal communication activities of the elderly, friend relationships are well formed and maintained when they are of similar age and have similar interests or favorability, and since friend relationships are people of the same era and experience socialization of the same era, they share many experiences of the past. Therefore, friend relationships open another field of conversation that cannot be felt with family members such as spouses, siblings, and children at home. This relationship is a relationship where conversations are shared more abundantly and one can empathize with each other's inner emotions at the same eye level. Since they experience similar socialization, there are many contents of conversation to share, they understand more intimately and easily in self-disclosure conversations, can exchange positive feedback of empathy, and as the relationship between friends continues, experiences that can be shared with each other also increase, making understanding and empathy for each other more active.
Between close friends, there is no need for formal words, and when a friend has a worry or is having a hard time, one can carefully consider the situation and feelings of the friend and convey pleasant understanding and empathy with words that give laughter, share minimum respect and friendship with each other, and individual and group activities of forming a consensus enable constant communication activities of friend relationships. Also, especially in the case of the elderly, meetings and conversations with old friends reduce alienation in old age and can affect depression and positive health perception. Therefore, participation in alumni associations or clubs of the elderly, as well as friend relationships formed through leisure activities and cultural activities with friends at welfare centers or senior citizen centers, can be said to be important interpersonal communication activities in elderly life. Meetings between peers of similar age in the church also play a positive role in important interpersonal communication.