Using a smartphone may reduce your dementia risk

New analysis shows that technology might provide cognitive benefits, despite bad press

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Contrary to what you might have heard, technology could offer some surprising benefits in slowing cognitive decline as we age. At least that's according to a new study published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour. "The terms 'brain rot' and 'brain drain' get thrown around a lot, and now we're seeing the term 'digital dementia'," Prof Michael Scullin, co-author of the new study, told BBC Science Focus.

"The notion that a digital device is inflicting cognitive harm with every use is very concerning and would suggest that adults who've been exposed to computers, the internet and smartphones during the first few decades of the digital revolution should be at increased risk for cognitive impairment."

To test if digital dementia is really as bad as it sounds, Scullin and his colleague, Prof Jared Benge, pulled together data from 57 scientific studies encompassing around 410,000 middle-aged or older adults. Participants were mainly from North America and Europe, although some studies included people from all over the world.

The results were surprising, to say the least. Far from being harmful, technology use was actually linked to better cognitive outcomes. In fact, 51 of the 57 studies reviewed found a significant association between tech use and a reduced risk of cognitive impairment - and none reported an increased risk.

“That trend in and of itself doesn’t mean very much,” Benge told BBC Science Focus. “It could simply be that technology use was a marker for other factors linked to brain health — like higher education, better socioeconomic status or more mentally demanding jobs.”

Yet the pattern held even after accounting for those variables — along with age, sex, general health and more. Clearly, there was substance to the findings.

TECH AND YOUR BRAIN