Erin O'Hara: naturopath and wellness expert on the realities of 'digital dementia'

Research has found excessive screen time can impact cognitive performance, leading to 'digital dementia'.

The condition is growing more common in younger people, and it's largely a result of heavy screen exposure.

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explained further.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News talks'b.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Let's talk digital dementia. There is a lot of research
going on in this field to talk us through what
Aaron O'Hara joins us now to talk, Well, that's good morning,
good money. So digital dementia. I'm presuming that this means
that uh, our cognitive abilities declining the more we're spending
on screens. Is that how we describe it pretty much,

(00:34):
very much like there's lots and lots of research going
on in this area. But the symptoms are similar to
your traditional dementia symptoms, so it includes memory, last, shortened
attention span, and emotional disturbances. And it's becoming actually more
prevalent in younger people from excessive screen use. And there's

(00:56):
so much research underway, especially at the moment now. This
term digital dementia was really coiled by German neuroscientists and
psychiatrist doctor Manfred Spitzer in twenty twelve, and he really
described it as the cognition changes from over using technology.

(01:18):
But there's also been other research studies that have been
done with similar condition names like your digital amnesia as
well as the Google effect of how technology is really
changing brain function. So there might be different names out there,
but it is a real condition. It's been acknowledged as
a real condition.

Speaker 3 (01:35):
Well, there's a BIX controversy on that that it isn't
actually a condition, but actually it's actually an effect from
using too much screen exposure. So it is just that
brain change that's happening from heavy screen use. And they've
noticed that if we're using a lot of heavy screen exposure,
there'll be an impact on the brain leaving leading to

(01:57):
structural changes, particularly thinning in the cerebral cortex as well
are as lower gray matter density, which affecting cognitive processing, memory,
and impulse control as well. And there's also changes in
also neurotransmitter balance in the brain which is affecting things
like anxiety depression as well as sleep disturbances from the

(02:21):
change in melatonin levels from lots of blue light exposure
on the screen as well. So they can really see
that scientifically that there is distinctive changes in the brain
from excessive brain use, so excessive computer use and screen exposure,
and they're seeing it more and more in younger people
because their screen exposure is far more than older generations

(02:44):
because they're starting on screens a lot younger, and they're
actually not actually using their brain as much as you
used to because they've got Google doing a lot of
the search changing engine sort of looking for things, so
they're not using all their brain pathways. Which is really
important for young developing brain is to actually be using
your brain.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
Because many of us have been on computers for years, right,
We've all had compeutis for decades. But then you throw
in the smartphone, you throw in the iPad, you throw
in all these sort of other portable devices you can
you know, you can always have something in your hand.
Has that led to an increase in this as well?

Speaker 3 (03:19):
It's just the overall use. So the average young person
spends six hours on a screen in a day. And
I think AI, which there's not actually go clinical research
on what effect is that going to have on brain
pathways because now we're not actually having to think. We're
actually using sometimes AI to just do all the work
for us. So if we're not using our brain, we
actually lose our ability to use our brain. If we're

(03:42):
not use it or losing does it all lose it
when it comes to brain function and that's where if
you're about keeping your brain functioning well, it's limiting your
use of screen exposure, maybe turning off some of the notifications,
focusing on things in your everyday life, doing more activities
that really help with your memory, like board games are great, puzzles, crosswords,

(04:04):
racket sports, even any sport is actually great for brain
cognition and learning new skills. And I think that's where
I think knowing that yes, screens are helpful in our
everyday life and really useful, but also knowing that excessive
use is actually going to make you basically lose a
lot of your brain functioning over long term.

Speaker 2 (04:23):
Well, there was an article in the Washington Post just
recently talking about digital detoxes, and they're saying that sounds
like a fad but actually can have a massive effect
on the brain. So you know, it's worth looking into
a little digital detox. Thank you so much, Eron, Oh,
I really appreciate your time this morning.

Speaker 1 (04:41):
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