Computers, smartphones and Internet use may help protect people from age-related intellectual decline, two neuropsychologists have said in a study that has challenged the hypothesis that these technologies can weaken the mind.
The researchers, who analysed data from 136 earlier studies that collectively involved more than 411,000 middle-aged and older adults worldwide, found that regular digital technology use significantly lowered the risk of cognitive impairment.
The more people use a computer, a smartphone, the Internet, or a combination of these three, the lower their risk of receiving poor cognitive test scores or a dementia diagnosis, according to the study, published on Monday in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.
The link between engagement with digital technology and brain health was as strong as — or stronger than — known protectors against dementia such as physical activity, lower blood pressure, education and mind-stimulating leisure activities, the researchers said.
“Many lifestyle factors are associated with better brain health outcomes as we age — education, exercise, socialising (among others),” said Jared Benge, a clinical neuropsychologist and associate professor at the University of Texas, Austin, and a co-author of the study.
“There are indications that learning how to work with (digital) technology, even if it is a challenge at times, might be another factor associated with brain health as we age,” Benge told The Telegraph.
The study examined how digital technologies had impacted people now in their 50s or 60s — those who witnessed the transition from paper currency to debit cards and payment apps, from handwritten letters and postcards to emails and text messages, from printed books and encyclopaedias to search engines, and from paper maps to digital navigation tools.
Their findings come against the backdrop of two opposing hypotheses.
Some studies have suggested that a heavy reliance on digital technology can weaken thinking skills over time, especially when the technology replaces attention, learning, or memory. This idea — called the digital dementia hypothesis — suggests that too much screen time and technology dependence may raise the risk of cognitive decline as people age.
The other view — called the “technological reserve” hypothesis —suggests that digital technology can help protect the brain from age-related decline. By encouraging mental activity, social connections and digital tools, the routine use of technology might help people stay sharper than expected during aging as well as brain-related illnesses.
“We hear phrases such as ‘brain rot’ or ‘digital dementia’ but our analysis has indicated that the net effect of technology adoption has been positive,” said Michael Scullins, a neuropsychologist and associate professor at Baylor University, the study’s other co-author.
“Older adults who have feared that learning tablets, smartphones or other digital devices would be difficult should give these technologies a try,” Scullins told this newspaper via email.
But there is no simple answer to whether digital technology is good or bad, he said.
“While digital devices can be used in negative ways such as distracted driving or excessive time on watching shows, they can also be used in positive ways for mental stimulation, social connections and opportunities to compensate for declining cognitive abilities.”
The findings support the idea that specific uses of digital technologies may promote the cognitive reserve, or the brain’s capacity to improvise and find alternative ways to perform tasks.
“Learning to use a new device, new app, new software is a complex mental activity that can be highly stimulating. We’ve known for many years that mental stimulation is beneficial to cognitive outcomes,” Scullins said.
“Or when someone uses digital technology to stay connected to friends and family members that they otherwise would not be able to communicate with — that could improve cognitive functioning through reducing loneliness and depression.”