Surf's up
Given that you read the eTips, I'm guessing that you're probably not a stranger to the Internet. And according to a recent study, that's good news for your brain. Researchers from the University of California Los Angeles found that searching the Internet actually stimulated the brain in more ways than reading. They asked 24 volunteers between the ages of 55 and 76 to perform web searches, and then to read from books. While the subjects were carrying out the tasks, the researchers monitored their brain activity. During both phases of the study, the researchers noted significant activity in the language, reading, memory, and visual areas of the brain. But when the participants were searching the Internet, the researchers found that it sparked activity in two additional areas of the brain -- the parts controlling decision making and complex reasoning. It makes sense: When you "surf the web," you have to make quick decisions about which site or sites to click on to find the information that best suits your purposes -- and that doesn't typically occur when you're reading books. Two things to keep in mind, though. First, this study certainly isn't saying that reading is bad or that it won't help keep you mentally sharp (just the opposite, in fact). It's simply saying that spending time on the Internet and searching on topics that interest you is one more way to boost your brain power and, "counteract the age-related physiological changes that cause the brain to slow down." Second, the UCLA team did conclude that this is a situation where practice makes perfect: "Experienced" web users are the ones who showed the most brain activity during Internet searches. So find your favorite search engine (mine is Google, but you may prefer another, such as MSN or Yahoo), pick a topic you're curious about, and start surfing. Source:
"Internet use 'good for the brain,'" BBC News (http://news.bbc.co.uk), 10/14/08 | 
