#TechnologyUse

A global study published in Nature Human Behavior finds that regular use of digital technology, from smartphones to computers, is linked to a significantly lower risk of cognitive decline among older adults. For Thailand’s rapidly aging population, this research offers a hopeful view on how digital engagement can support brain health in later life.

The study analyzed 57 projects worldwide, involving more than 411,000 adults with an average age of 69. The key takeaway: middle-aged and older individuals who frequently use digital devices were about 58% less likely to experience cognitive impairment than peers who avoid technology. The researchers stressed there is no credible evidence of a widespread digital “brain drain” from ordinary use of devices.

A sweeping international study published in Nature Human Behavior has found that using digital technology — from smartphones to computers — is linked with a dramatically reduced risk of cognitive decline among older adults, challenging widespread fears about ‘digital dementia’. For Thailand’s increasingly tech-savvy aging population, this research offers an optimistic perspective on how digital engagement may help preserve brain health well into later life.

The study, summarised in a recent Washington Post report, analysed 57 research projects from around the globe, involving more than 411,000 adults with an average age of 69. Its key finding: middle-aged and senior individuals who frequently use digital devices were 58% less likely to experience cognitive impairment than their peers who shunned technology. Contrary to long-standing concerns about the negative effects of constant screen time, the authors concluded there was “no credible evidence … for widespread digital ‘brain drain’ or ‘digital dementia’ as a result of general, natural uses of digital technology.”