'Digital dementia' on the rise as young people increasingly rely on technology instead of their brain
- South Korean experts have a noticed surge in
teenagers with poor memory
- New 'dementia' causes deterioration in cognitive abilities more commonly seen in people who have suffered a head injury or psychiatric illness
- Experts blame games consoles and mobile phones for worrying trend
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Doctors have reported a surge in cases of ‘digital dementia’ among young people.
They say that teenagers have become so reliant on digital technology they are no longer able to remember everyday details such as their phone numbers.
South Korean experts have found that those who rely more on technology suffer a deterioration in cognitive abilities more commonly seen in patients who have suffered a head injury or psychiatric illness.
Experts blame technology for 'digital dementia'. The number of people aged between 10 and 19 who use their smartphones for more than seven hours every day has leapt by 18.4 per cent
‘Over-use of smartphones and game devices hampers the balanced development of the brain,’ Byun Gi-won, a doctor at the Balance Brain Centre in Seoul, told the JoongAng Daily newspaper.
South Korea is one of the most digital nations in the world and internet addiction, among both adults and children, was recognised as far back as the late 90s, says a report in The Telegraph.
‘Heavy [technology] users are likely to develop the left side of their brains, leaving the right side untapped or underdeveloped,’ he said.
The right side of the brain is associated with concentration and underdevelopment affects attention and memory span, which could in as many as 15 per cent of cases lead to the early onset of dementia.
Byun Gi-won, a doctor at the Balance Brain Centre in Seoul, said that overusing smartphones and gaming devices hampered brain development
Sufferers are also reported to suffer from emotional underdevelopment, with children more at risk than adults because their brains are still growing.
The situation appears to be worsening with the percentage of people aged between 10 and 19 who use their smartphones for more than seven hours every day leaping to 18.4 per cent - an increase of seven per cent from last year.
The Korean findings come after a study, carried out by UCLA, found that young people were increasingly suffering from memory problems.
The research, published earlier this month, found that 14 per cent of young men and women between aged 18 and 39 complained that their memory was poor.
The U.S. study blamed modern lifestyles for the problem - saying that spending time on a computer and texting prevents people focussing and memorising information.
They also blamed stress, saying hectic lifestyles prevent concentration information retention.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2347563/Digital-dementia-rise-young-people-increasingly-rely-technology-instead-brain.html#ixzz2hRn21yB6
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