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Fears that smartphones, tablets and other devices could drive dementia in later life have been challenged by research that found lower rates of cognitive decline in older people who used the technology.
An analysis of published studies that looked at technology use and mental skills in more than 400,000 older adults found that over-50s who routinely used digital devices had lower rates of cognitive decline than those who used them less.
It is unclear whether the technology staves off mental decline, or whether people with better cognitive skills simply use them more, but the scientists say the findings question the claim that screen time drives what has been called “digital dementia”.
“For the first generation that was exposed to digital tools, their use is associated with better cognitive functioning,” said Dr Jared Benge, a clinical neuropsychologist in UT Health Austin’s Comprehensive Memory Center. “This is a more hopeful message than one might expect given concerns about brain rot, brain drain, and digital dementia.”
Benge and his colleague Dr Michael Scullin, a cognitive neuroscientist at Baylor University in Texas, analysed 57 published studies that examined the use of digital technology in 411,430 adults around the world. The average age was 69 years old and all had a cognitive test or diagnosis.
The scientists found no evidence for the digital dementia hypothesis, which suggests that a lifetime of using digital technology drives mental decline. Rather, they found that using a computer, smartphone, the internet or some combination of these was associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment. The details have been published in Nature Human Behaviour.
More work is needed to explain the findings, but the researchers suspect a two-way relationship underpins the results. In this scenario, people with better thinking skills are more likely to use digital devices, but there are also cognitive benefits to be had from embracing the technology.
“We think the three Cs might be important: complexity, connection and compensatory behaviours,” Benge told the Guardian. Digital tools could help people engage in complex activities and boost their social connections, both of which appeared to be good for the ageing brain, he said. The technology also allowed people to compensate for cognitive decline and function more easily, for example by using GPS to find their way or setting reminders to pay bills or take medicines, he added.
Writing in the journal, the authors suggested the pros and cons of smartphones and other devices on the ageing brain depended on how they were used. “Using digital devices in the way that we use televisions – passive and sedentary, both physically and mentally – is not likely to be beneficial,” said Scullin. “But, our computers and smartphones also can be mentally stimulating, afford social connections, and provide compensation for cognitive abilities that are declining with ageing. These latter types of uses have long been regarded as beneficial for cognitive ageing.”
Prof Peter Etchells, the director of the Centre for Research on Science and Society at Bath Spa University in the UK, said: “This is a really nice study that shows the research area is starting to mature. It’s starting to move beyond the blind acceptance that screen time is something useful to talk about. It’s starting to pose what the next questions should be.”
Sam Gilbert, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London, said the study showed “a clear link” between digital technology usage and preserved cognitive ability in older age.
“The explanation for this link is still not fully clear: we cannot be sure whether technology usage itself preserves cognitive ability, whether preserved cognitive ability leads to more frequent use of technology, or – most likely – some combination of the two. Nevertheless, this work challenges alarmist ideas about so-called ‘digital dementia’ and instead suggests that using digital technology can be good for brain health.”
Dr Vincent O’Sullivan, an economist at the University of Limerick in Ireland, also welcomed the study. “The common perception, at least among media commentators, is that technology is making us stupid or forgetful. These researchers, through meticulous analysis of a vast academic literature, show that there is a positive association between good cognitive health and digital technology usage.
“Once we understand the mechanism, we can hopefully design interventions for those at risk of cognitive decline.”
