Study challenges assumptions about digital device usage and cognitive decline
A study published in Nature Human Behaviour has suggested that using a computer, smartphone, the internet or some combination of these is associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment.
These findings contrast with the previous ‘digital dementia hypothesis’, which had suggested that a lifetime of using digital technology could drive cognitive decline.
Dr Michael Scullin, Cognitive Neuroscientist at Baylor University in Texas and co-author on the study, says:
“Using digital devices in the way that we use televisions – passive and sedentary, both physically and mentally – is not likely to be beneficial. But, our computers and smartphones also can be mentally stimulating, afford social connections, and provide compensation for cognitive abilities that are declining with ageing.”
You can read the study here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-025-02159-9