How Technology Strengthens the Brain Follow us on Facebook
Many studies have documented the effects of technology on older adults. But in order to understand the benefits of using today’s modern form of information and communication, we need to first understand why they often have trouble using devices. A published study by Pew Research Center found that less than half of adults aged 65 and older used social media. Another study by the same group found that 23 percent of older adults have either a physical or health condition that makes reading challenging, therefore preventing their engagement with technology at all.But aside from health being a barrier to technology, knowledge about technology plays an equally important role in an older person’s propensity to use it. Among older adults, a Eurostat study in 2017 found that nearly 77 percent of adults over the age of 75 would require assistance when attempting to learn how to use a new device such as a smartphone or tablet. These statistics are in contrast to the known benefits of technology use for older adults. It has been documented that using modern technology can be valuable in stimulating brain function in terms of both cognitive and memory skills. And in turn, exercising cognitive and memory functions of the brain can be invaluable tools to help prevent dementia. Online brain games, puzzles and crosswords can help seniors stay mentally fit by testing their problem-solving skills, spatial recognition and recall ability.
Other benefits include staying connected to the outside world and to health care providers - who are adopting digital tools to monitor patients and provide care increasingly more every day. So how do we help more seniors engage in today’s technology? The answer lies more in the approach than any magical or medical solution. The key is to start out slowly, compartmentalizing lessons and keeping it simple in idea and steps. One way to start is to set up a game app like Sudoku and demonstrate how to open the app, play and close it.
A second step might be to enroll the student in an online class that caters to older adults. This method allows your loved one to be independent learners and also learn by doing.
A third approach is to help them see the benefits of using today’s technology by demonstrating how you use it and keep a pulse on world events, local news and even personal business.