Facebook Can be A Memory Booster for Older People

According to a new study, Facebook can be used as a memory booster for older people as it enhances a person's cognitive abilities.

A new study was conducted by a psychology grad student Janelle Wohltmann, who studies at the University of Arizona to find the link between the use of Facebook and memory in older people.

She divided a group of 42 people into three smaller groups. The first group was made to use Facebook while the second group was given another online journal to use. The third group wasn't given to do anything expect wait to use Facebook. Each of these participants was aged between 68 and 91. Prior to the study, each participant was also tested for social variables and cognitive ability.

The study carried on for eight weeks after which Wohltmann tested the participants' social variables and cognitive abilities again. It was found that the group that used Facebook for the past eight weeks had a 25 percent improvement in memory while the people who didn't do anything but wait to use Facebook didn't show any improvement at all.

"The idea evolved from two bodies of research. One, there is evidence to suggest that staying more cognitively engaged - learning new skills, not just becoming a couch potato when you retire but staying active - leads to better cognitive performing,"Social Daily quoted Wohltmann. "It's kind of this 'use it or lose it' hypothesis. ... There's also a large body of literature showing that people who are more socially engaged, are less lonely, have more social support and are more socially integrated are also doing better cognitively in older age."

During the study it was also found that the new Facebook users posted updates at least once daily and made friends with only their age group. Further study on the topic is still in progress. However, from her initial findings Wohltmann concluded that Facebook could be used as a memory booster for older people.