19 November 2025

What a great article about the importance, as we age, of staying engaged with technology, not only to simply “keep up with the times” but for your cognitive health, as well.  Here are some excerpts from “Why you should embrace new technology as you age” by Richard Sima, published in The Washington Post, 19 November 2025.  Read the full article, subscription needed: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2025/11/19/phone-computer-technology-use-cognition-benefit/

“We saw that older adults who are engaging with technologies overall seem to be having less diagnoses of dementia, mild cognitive impairment, better scores on cognitive measures,” said Jared Benge, an associate professor at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin and an author of the paper, a meta-analysis of 57 studies, which was published in Nature Human Behaviour.

Across studies, greater use of everyday digital technologies, such as computers, smartphones, and the internet, was associated with a 58% lower risk of cognitive impairment in people aged 50 and older.

The relationship between cognition and technology use is probably bidirectional, researchers said: People with healthy cognition may use technology more, and those who use technology more may have better cognition in the future.

“What’s surprising about it is how consistent our findings were,” with no studies finding technology use to be harmful to cognition, said Michael Scullin, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor University and an author of the analysis.

Because the studies were observational, they cannot show causality. But longitudinal studies that tracked participants for an average of six years found that more technology use is associated with better cognitive health in the future.

The three C’s of technology use

• Complexity:  Research has consistently shown that challenging our brains with mentally complex tasks is good for it — crosswords, hobbies, music, reading, and more years of formal education.
• Connection:  Digital technologies can also help connect us with one another. Social connection is protective against dementia, while isolation and loneliness increase dementia risk.

Compensatory behaviors:  As we age, we may encounter difficulties with cognitive abilities such as memory, decision-making, and navigation.  Digital technologies can help cognition by compensating for this diminished capacity by providing a “scaffold” to support everyday function.

Last updated 11/27/2025.