It’s easy to blame smartphones and other constantly available digital devices for almost everything that ails our modern society. They’ve been accused of causing “brain drain,” physical ailments like “text neck” and sleep disruptions, along with increasing anxiety and depression.
But a new, large-scale meta-analysis published in Nature Human Behavior showed that for people over the age of 50, regular technology use led to lower odds of cognitive impairment and reduced the rate of decline over time.
Popular Discourse Regarding Digital Usage
In the last decade, experts have been warning that “mentally passive” sedentary behaviors — like many of those encouraged by our digital devices — are linked to a higher risk of developing dementia. For example, a Swedish study conducted over the course of 19 years examined the difference between adults who engaged in primarily “mentally passive” sedentary behaviors, such as watching television, scrolling social media, or simply listening to music without interacting with it, and those who spent more time engaged in “mentally active sedentary behaviors,” such as crossword puzzles, hobbies like knitting or sewing, or — pay attention to this phrase — “working on a computer in a way that involves thinking and processing information.”
The Swedish study found that those who engaged in mostly mentally passive activities had a significantly higher risk of developing dementia than those who spent their time being mentally active. Furthermore, each additional hour per day of mentally active sedentary behavior was associated with a 4% lower risk for developing dementia.
This study (along with others like it) has raised alarm bells, and “digital dementia” emerged as one of many catchphrases for those concerned with the rise of digital device usage. However, as is the case with many studies that gain national attention, sometimes the messaging around the studies can skew the actual findings. People read headlines or hear a news promo, and all they retain is the part where digital device usage leads to dementia. What they often fail to catch is that how the devices are being used makes a difference.
Challenging the Presumption of “Digital Dementia”
“You can flip on the news on just about any day and you’ll see people talking about how technologies are harming us,” said Michael K. Scullin, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor University and co-author of the new meta-analysis study. “People often use the terms ‘brain drain’ and ‘brain rot,’ and now digital dementia is an emerging phrase. As researchers, we wanted to know if this was true.”
His analysis, conducted with co-author Jared F. Benge, clinical neuropsychologist and associate professor of neurology at Dell Medical School and UT Health Austin’s Comprehensive Memory Center, reviewed more than 136 studies with data encompassing over 400,000 adults, and longitudinal studies with an average of six years of follow-up data. They found that digital technology use, whether via computer, smartphone or internet, correlates with a 58% lower risk of cognitive impairment. Additionally, this pattern of cognitive protection persisted when researchers controlled for socioeconomic status, education, age, gender, baseline cognitive ability, social support, overall health, and engagement with mental activities like reading that might have influenced the findings.
The “Technological Reserve” Hypothesis
According to another meta-analysis performed by Benge and Scullin in 2023, two distinct theories have arisen regarding the cognitive impact of digital engagement: “digital distraction,” that regular digital device usage increases distractions and decreases cognitive skills by offloading tasks like fact recall, directions and other daily memory tasks; and “technological reserve,” which posits that regular engagement with digital devices benefits cognitive function by “promoting complex cognitive engagement, sustained connection, and acquisition of digital based compensatory skills.”
Benge and Scullin believe that their latest analysis supports their “technological reserve” theory.
“One of the first things that middle-age and older adults were saying is that ‘I’m so frustrated by this computer. This is hard to learn,’” Scullin continued in the press release. “That’s actually a reflection of the cognitive challenge, which may be beneficial for the brain even if it doesn’t feel great in the moment.” The technologies that run our beloved digital devices require our constant adaptation, such as staying current with software updates, troubleshooting lost internet connections or filtering out website ads. While adjusting to these changes can be irritating, they’re likely also encouraging us to exercise our brains.
Increased Social Connection
In addition to keeping you sharp via frustration, Benge and Scullin also cite positive outcomes from the increase in social connections that technology enables. Video calls, emails and messaging apps help maintain social networks, especially for people who would not otherwise regularly see their family members. Those who are able to experience increased social connection via digital technologies will be at less risk of developing dementia and cognitive decline as a result of their isolation.
Further Thoughts
It’s heartening to learn that our reliance on digital devices isn’t necessarily as bad as we thought, but that doesn’t mean that we can proceed without caution. Benge and Scullin’s analysis shows that while certain uses of technology are beneficial, people should still try to engage in “healthy use of digital tools.” For example, Scullin says it’s hard to predict the cognitive effects of “endlessly scrolling on TikTok,” but interacting with communities online can provide benefits by forming social connections.
Top image: Iridenta Florescu’s Images, via Canva.com
