A smartphone or computer is now required to be extremely productive in the workplace or education. But on the other hand, these technologies have the potential to disrupt many elements of a person’s lifestyle, including personal health.
Two new research released lately reveals that smartphone use has both harmful and beneficial effects on cognition, leading to cognitive decline or improvement. Continue reading to learn how they could produce two opposed outcomes.
Exposure to digital devices accelerates the onset of Alzheimer’s disease
According to a study conducted by experts at Washington State University, the electronically produced electromagnetic fields (EMFs) released by cellphones can trigger the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
After witnessing it occur in animal studies, Martin L. Pall, Ph.D., suggested that EMF radiation from wireless gadgets caused Alzheimer’s disease by significantly increasing intracellular calcium. EMFs “act via peak electric and time-varying magnetic forces on a nanosecond time scale,” he stated in a release and can induce early development of the neurodegenerative condition.
He cited earlier research showing that those whose employment exposes them to EMF had a greater rate of Alzheimer’s disease, reducing the disease’s typical 25-year latency period.
The second study shows smartphones can enhance cognitive function
While the first research looked at the disadvantages of using a cellphone, the second research, led by scholars at the University of Missouri and Baylor University, looked at the advantages.
Individuals with mild cognitive disorders or dementia can discover smartphone-based memory techniques to enhance their cognitive function and independence, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society entitled “Using Smartphone Technology to Improve Prospective Memory Functioning: A Randomized Controlled Trial.”
According to McKnight’s Senior Living, experts link most folk’s surprise at older persons owning smartphones to stereotypes and ageism. They did, however, point out that the world has changed and that smartphone tech has advanced, particularly because cellphones are now indispensable in everyday life.
