Surf the web, build your brain

There’s a lot of garbage out here in cyberspace… but once you sidestep all that trash, there are plenty of reasons to hang around.

And the biggest one of all may be a boost to your brain.

A new study finds that older Americans who surf the Web have better brain activity. And not only that, but older people who don’t use the Web can quickly catch up once they start surfing away.

In fact, they start getting some benefits after only a week of Web browsing, according to a study presented at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting.

Researchers watched 24 people between 55 and 78 with healthy minds surf the Web while connected to MRIs. Half were regular Internet users while the other half had little to no online experience. They were then asked to use the Internet at home for an hour a day for seven days over the next two weeks and then return for more brain scans.

In the beginning, the regular Web users had more activity in the parts of the brain used to make decisions – the area most associated with thinking. But those who hadn’t used the Web before were quickly catching up by the end of those two weeks.

The study echoes other research, which has shown that mind exercises like crossword puzzles and chess help prevent age-related decline.

The study’s co-author, Dr. Gary Small of UCLA, put it best when he said, “You can teach an old brain new technology tricks.”

If you’re reading this, then you’re probably online already. But if you have some friends who are holding out and don’t see the point in using the Internet, print this out and give it to them so they can see all they’re missing out on.

(Side note: Greetings to everyone reading this in print – hope to see you online soon.)

Then, if you really want to be a good friend, help them get connected and teach them how to surf the Web. And if you want to be an even better friend, one of the first things you’ll help them do is sign up for House Calls.