Maybe tech isn’t so bad for our brains after all |
Is daily smartphone use rotting our brains and bringing on cognitive decline? Probably not, according to new research. An analysis of 136 studies covering 400,000 older adults reveals digital technology users have a 58% lower risk of cognitive impairment — a direct challenge to the notion that smartphones and computers harm our brains.
“The great fear was that using computers, the internet, and smartphones could lead to worse rates of cognitive impairment,” explained Dr. Michael Scullin, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor University, Waco, TX. “Instead, 90% of the studies indicated that digital technology use was linked to [a] lower risk of cognitive impairment, even when controlling for factors like education, socioeconomic status, and general health.”
Brain scans reveal why this might be happening. Older adults who had experience with internet searching showed more neuronal activation than novices. After just 1 week of online search training, previously inexperienced users showed increased neural stimulation in regions controlling thinking and memory.
To learn more about how technology protects the brain and whether targeted use of digital tools could help prevent dementia, jump to “Dementia: Engaging with digital technology may reduce risk by 58%.”
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