Most of what we hear about spending time on screens (computers, tablets and smartphones) is bad.

Take the warnings about blue light, for example…

Research says artificial light disrupts the natural order of things, like our circadian rhythm. That blue light exposure from screens potentially accelerates aging by altering mitochondria — the powerhouses of our cells.

But not everything related to screens is bad…

In fact, according to a study published in Scientific Reports, spending time on your computer could help keep your memory sharp.

Here’s why…

Your brain on the internet

The internet has transformed our lives in numerous ways — from deciding what recipe to cook for dinner to how we make travel plans and connect with friends.

And according to the research which analyzed data from the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study, it has even transformed how our brains retrieve information.

That’s because the internet gives “transactive memory” a workout. This type of memory requires that we remember the source of information we use rather than the information itself.

So researchers set out to determine how using the internet can help us in our quest for better brain power as we age.

The team delved into data on 36,542 people, categorizing them based on their internet use frequency and comparing that use to their performance on memory recall tests.

The study clearly showed that using the internet more often leads to better results when it comes to keeping your brain at its best…

Daily use equals better recall

Compared to those who used the internet several times every week, several times each month, several times every year or never, the researchers found that daily internet users performed far better on:

• Immediate recall tasks  –  an example of this is remembering someone’s name during a conversation right after being introduced. Decreased immediate recall can be due to reduced attention, concentration or poor working memory capacity.
• Delayed recall tasks – an example is being given a list of words or a paragraph to remember and successfully recalling those items later. Delayed recall is important because it measures the specific memory recall impairment in Alzheimer’s disease.

A similarly positive impact of internet use frequency on recall task performance was observed in all other internet use categories. In other words, people who used the internet several times a week performed better than those who used it several times a month or less.

So enjoy your time on the internet, knowing it could be helping your brain do its job better for longer.

Remember to take frequent breaks from sitting, though, so your body gets as much of a workout as your brain.

One study found that if you get up from your desk every 30 minutes to walk just two minutes, you’ll increase blood flow, including oxygen and nutrients to your brain.

This is vital since scientists have shown that the reduced blood flow to your brain that you get from sitting too much can dramatically raise your risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Sources:

Daily internet use supercharges your memory! — News Medical Life Sciences

What Is A Delayed Recall Test, And How Is It Used To Diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease? — abc NEWS

Immediate Recall (IR) and Delayed Recall (DR) each provide information on different aspects of memory. — Multicontext