Apparently engaging with misinformation at least keeps your brain active.
It feels like most of us are getting our brains turned to mush by the internet. But a new study suggests that older people are at least having their mush stimulated. According to a study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, older adults who have access to digital communication tools displayed better cognitive function and were less likely to show signs of depression than their less digitally adept peers.
The study, which looked at data collected by the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, included nearly 10,000 participants, half in the “digital inclusion” group that had access to “internet-enabled information and communications technologies,” and half in the “digital exclusion” group that did not. Folks in the digital inclusion group participated in a variety of online activities, including chatting, reading the news, watching videos, playing games, and managing money.
