Good News for Those of Us that Spend Way TOO Much Time in Front of the Computer

Posted by Jennifer on October 28th, 2008

Surfing the Web Stimulates Your Brain

By Randy Dotinga
HealthDay Reporter
Tuesday, October 14, 2008; 12:00 AM

TUESDAY, Oct. 14 (HealthDay News) — New research suggests that a little bit of Googling goes a long way toward keeping your mind fit.

This small study doesn’t confirm that using an Internet search engine like Google is healthy for the brain. But some middle-aged and older subjects who spent time searching for information on the Internet did show signs of more brain activity than those who simply engaged in reading.

“Just a simple, everyday computer task seems to be activating neural circuits,” said study author Dr. Gary W. Small, director of the University of California, Los Angeles, Center on Aging. “It’s possible that this is something that strengthens our brains as we do it.”

Small and his colleagues launched the study to see how brain activity differs in people who are accustomed to using computers and those who are new to them. In the larger picture, Small said, he wants to understand how the brains of younger people might be wired differently from those of older people because of long-term exposure to computers. Read More Here