Regular internet access may benefit the mental health of older adults, a study has found. Regular internet use by older people is associated with a significantly reduced risk of developing dementia, according to a recent study.
The study also revealed a ‘sweet spot’ for internet use of two hours a day, beyond which the risk of developing dementia may increase. Experts say that adults should be helped to use new online technologies and barriers to accessing them should be addressed. New research examines the role of internet use in older adults as a means of preventing dementia.
The study revealed that adults who use the internet regularly are almost half as likely to develop dementia as those who do not use the internet regularly.
For an average of 7.9 years, and up to 17.1 years, the study authors followed the health of 18,154 adults without dementia. Study participants were between 50 and 64.9 years old at the start of the study. Regular internet users have a 43% reduced risk of developing dementia compared to non-users. At the end of the study, 4.68% of the participants were diagnosed with dementia.
The study also suggests that the beneficial effects of internet use depend on the amount of internet use, showing the U-shaped pattern of the data. The results suggest that people whose daily internet use is between 0.1 and 2 hours have the greatest reduction in the risk of dementia.
Did it help?
People who do not go online or stay online for more than two hours hold a higher risk of dementia. However, the authors point out that small sample sizes do not allow us to observe significant differences between groups of users. The study’s authors also investigated whether education level, race and ethnicity, gender and ethnicity affected the association between internet use and dementia risk. They found that the risk of dementia did not differ based on these factors. The study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
The most advantages of the internet
There is such a sweet spot: if you use the internet for half an hour to two hours a day, it protects you from dementia. But too much time spent on the internet is not safe, on the contrary, it is rather harmful.
Regarding excessive internet use, the researchers noted that if adults are “destructive scrollers,” that is, have the ability to scroll through social media feeds that contain bad news, they may ” really exposed to the negative images of aging, to feeling. of vanity and to a bad impression of old age […]this would be an example where[tropdetempspourraitpotentiellementavoiruneffetnégatif[akokopupọleniipaodi[tropdetempspourraitpotentiellementavoiruneffetnégatif
Too much time spent on the internet can also promote an unhealthy lifestyle and more. The study did not know exactly what the subjects were doing online, which could have affected the study’s conclusions.
These important results deserve further investigation. What are the reasons why some adults spend a lot of time online? Do they feel alone? Are they socially isolated? What are the other potential cognitive/physical risks? On the other hand, what happens to those who do not use the Internet at all? I think these are questions that can be explored further in future studies.
Why does using the Internet help prevent dementia?
We already know that learning new things, living in an intelligent manner is the key to protecting our brain and reducing the risk of dementia. Internet use in old age can have direct cognitive benefits because learning and using new technologies can stimulate the brain and thus have a positive effect on cognitive functions. Seniors can use the Internet to find general information or information related to their health. The availability of telemedicine is another reason for adults to spend time online.
Regular internet use can also allow for beneficial social interaction with other people.
How do the elderly perceive old age?
In general, participation in internet activities may promote a positive view of aging, which may have beneficial effects on health. Our perceptions of the role of aging as we age in terms of longevity, risk of dementia, simply how we think about aging.
Three ways in which negative beliefs about age can affect the risk of dementia and aging:
Bad eyes are known to be bad for your health
Treating yourself like an old car that shouldn’t be running much longer is a recipe for poor health.
High levels of cortisol due to stress, as well as systemic inflammation.
Make the internet more accessible
The results of the study favor that adults should be helped to learn and use new online technologies, whatever use they want to make. Many adults also face many barriers, such as lack of technical skills, cost, lack of social support, etc. These barriers can prevent many adults from reaping the educational and social benefits of using the internet, which is truly unfortunate.
