Contrary to the popular notion of ‘digital dementia’, a US study published in Nature Human Behavior suggests that the use of smartphones and other digital devices may actually slow cognitive decline and lower the risk of dementia in older adults.
The term digital dementia refers to the idea that excessive screen time could accelerate mental decline with age. However, this new research challenges that assumption. By analysing data from 57 studies involving 4.1 lakh individuals aged 50 and older, researchers found that regular use of computers, smartphones and the internet may protect cognitive health in both older and middle-aged adults.
Notably, seniors who regularly use digital devices were found to have a 58 per cent lower risk of developing cognitive impairment. This protective effect was comparable to, or even greater than, well-established factors like managing blood pressure, engaging in physical activity, or participating in brain-training games. “The generation that brought us the digital revolution is now reaching the age where dementia risks emerge,” noted the lead researcher. “Far from causing ‘digital dementia’, as some feared, we found technology engagement is consistently linked to better brain health, even after accounting for education, income and physical health.”
To explain this phenomenon, the researchers introduced the concept of a “technological reserve”—a brain-boosting benefit akin to the cognitive reserve built through formal education and lifelong learning. By acquiring new digital skills, maintaining social connections online and using technology as a memory aid, older adults may be enhancing the brain’s resilience to ageing and promoting long-term cognitive health.
“Our data suggests encouraging older adults to engage with technology—particularly in a manner that helps challenge, connect and compensate for cognitive problems—could be a powerful approach to promoting cognitive health,” the study concluded.
