Cut dementia risk...by using a smartphone: Researchers say using digital technology could protect against cognitive decline

It might be painful helping ageing parents get to grips with modern technology.

But using gadgets such as smartphones and computers in later life could lower the risk of dementia, according to a study.

There have been growing concerns about the widespread use of digital devices, with Oxford University Press choosing 'brain rot' – used to describe someone's mental state after spending too much time on their phone – as its phrase of the year in 2024.

However, researchers found digital technology use was linked with a 58 per cent lower risk of cognitive impairment, which encompasses issues with problem-solving, memory, language or attention.

The team, who reviewed data from 400,000 people with an average age of 68, said that for those introduced to computers, smartphones and the internet past their childhood, using such devices is cognitively challenging.

Professor Michael Scullin, from Baylor University, Texas, said: 'One of the first things that older adults were saying is 'I'm so frustrated by this computer. This is hard to learn'.

'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.'

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He said technology requires constant adaptation, such as understanding new software, adding: 'If you're doing that for years... even though you might experience frustration, that may be a sign of you exercising your brain.'

Video calls, emails and messaging apps help maintain social networks, which Professor Scullin said can also protect against cognitive decline.

And he said it's never too late to introduce older family and friends to technology, adding: 'Start simple, and be very patient while they learn.'

The research, also carried out by scientists at the University of Texas in Austin, was published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.