Apparently, from sunset March 1 to sunset March 2 was National Day of Unplugging. Reboot, a nonprofit organization urged everyone to take a pledge to avoid technology for 24 hours – allowing us to take a mental break from smartphones, laptops and other gadgets. Several leaders in the technology field suggested their personal ways of disconnecting, which included the spectrum of reading a book, or taking a walk, to the disclosure by one exec that he doesn’t entirely tune out the internet, but he will take an “email sabbatical.”
Today, a time.com article raises the idea that various kinds of distractions can actually help in recall among older adults – and that Facebook may actually enhance memory. In research presented at the International Neuropsychological Society’s annual meeting in Hawaii, researchers discussed findings on how Facebook can improve cognitive function in older people. The study included 44 adults between the ages of 68 and 91. The 14 participants who were trained in Facebook improved their cognitive performance by 25%, as opposed to those who were placed on a wait list for the training and a third group who used a private online diary program. All the participants were tested on their ability to update their memory by scrapping information that was no longer needed. The researchers suggest that Facebook content is significant, possibly because of the socially driven cues people have with the information, as well as the chatty and “gossipy” tone of the messages. It’s possible spending time on social media may be beneficial…. but like so many things in life, moderation is the key……the dailybeast.com 3/1/13 time.com 3/5/13