Too Much Dependence on Technology Increases ‘Digital Dementia’ in Youths

'Digital dementia' is increasing in youngsters, experts warn.

Doctors in South Korea say that young people who depend too much on technology, even for daily details such as phone numbers, suffer from a weakening of cognitive abilities.

Cognitive disabilities are mostly found in people who survive head injuries or have psychiatric problems. "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.

According to The Telegraph, South Korea is one of the most advanced nations in technology and South Korean adults and children are known to be internet fanatics since the late 90s.  "Heavy (technology) users are likely to develop the left side of their brains, leaving the right side untapped or underdeveloped," Dr Giwon explained.

The right part of the brain helps in concentration and its poor development leads to reduced attention and memory span. This may result in as many as 15 per cent chances of developing early dementia.

Dementia patients also suffer from emotional underdevelopment. The cases could be more in children than adults since the brains of the children are still growing.

It is a worrying situation because smartphone usage for more than seven hours a day among youngsters is increasing each day by 18.4 per cent - an increase of seven per cent from last year.

The South Korean researchers  carried out the study after University of California, Los Angeles, published a report earlier this month stating that youngsters were increasingly suffering from memory problems. The report said that around 14 percent of young people aged between 18 and 39 admitted that they had poor memory.

The UCLA study stated the reasons for poor memory to be changing lifestyle problems. They said that youngsters spent too much of their time on computers and texting. This hampered their focus and memory. The researchers further blamed stress due to hectic daily life, which prevents  concentration  and information retention.