Social media and dementia risk: Leading doc explains why endless scrolling can slowly ‘chip’ away at cognitive brain reserve

Social media nowadays, has become more than a simple leisure activity. It is a tool that drives businesses, and helps millions make a career out of it. However, how much is too much when it comes to social media?Dr. Bing, MD MPH, recently took to his IG to reveal some pros and cons of social media on the brain. He said,“Social media is not automatically bad for the brain but how we use it matters more than most people realize.Research shows that real social connection protects against dementia, but endless scrolling does the opposite by training the brain toward distraction, novelty seeking and weaker memory formation. Over time this can chip away at cognitive reserve which is one of the strongest predictors of long term brain health. The brain adapts to what it practices. When habits change the brain can change too, ” he said. Let’s see how...Social media: tool, not toxinSocial media exists as an unbiased platform which creates brain benefits or damages, based on the amount of time users spend on it and their intended activities. Studies indicate that educational activities which help people learn and maintain contact with family members, will enhance their language abilities, but excessive high-intensity usage of social media, leads to worse attention and working memory performance.The current platforms achieve user engagement through their short high-energy content, which leads to longer user interaction. Scientists have discovered that excessive use which people cannot stop leads to increased cognitive fatigue, mental confusion and impaired concentration during challenging work requirements.

Real connection protects the brainHuman connection stands as a leading lifestyle factor which research shows, decreases the chances of developing dementia. The Whitehall II cohort established that middle-aged adults who spent time with friends, developed superior cognitive functions while lowering their chances of developing dementia.Research conducted with different population groups demonstrates that social isolation and loneliness result in mild cognitive impairment, which will progress into dementia during future years. Research shows that two-way communication which includes dialogue, active listening and collaborative problem-solving, enables people to build brain resistance against aging and disease progression.Endless scrolling trains distractionThe brain develops a habit to search for new content, because it spends its time browsing through endless feeds, which show numerous short posts that update quickly. Young adult research shows that spending more than three hours per day on social media, results in decreased attention abilities, memory loss and diminished ability to focus on complex tasks, which negatively impacts schoolwork and professional work.Research conducted through systematic review about social media and cognitive processes, shows that excessive social media usage leads users to develop weak working memory skills, and reduced executive function abilities. Research findings show that social media usage causes memory decline, and people who keep their phones nearby experience mental distraction, which weakens their cognitive abilities through non-stop mental work.How this erodes cognitive reserveThe brain maintains its backup operational capacity through cognitive reserve, which enables people to maintain their performance despite aging-related brain changes and diseases. The development of intelligence occurs through educational learning, mentally strenuous work and social activities and tasks, which require brain function for learning and problem-solving and adaptation.Most of our daily mental resources spend time on mindless scrolling, seeking new content and surface-level interactions, which makes the brain develop better skills at diverting attention instead of focusing deeply. The passage of time leads to reduced opportunities for meaningful dialogue and activities, which include reading and hobbies and challenging work that helps build cognitive networks and protects brain health in the long run.The brain develops into what it continuously practicesThe brain is highly adaptable and constantly reshapes its networks based on repeated habits and experiences. People spend most of their digital time looking for brief moments of pleasure, through quick browsing and constant switching between different content. The brain develops expertise in this specific pattern, which involves rapid movement between content, while showing no interest in waiting or putting in work.

What should one doAs Dr Bing said, social media is not your enemy, but the way you use it is the problem. While using social media sparingly, invest some time in making real connections, getting outside in th sun, meeting friends, taking a long walk, and doing activities that you actually enjoy, without feeling the need to put them up (constantly) on social media.