Desired information is available with a single click. Life has become easier, but on the other hand, excessive dependence on phones and gadgets has severely affected both memory and health. If you too experience difficulty remembering small things, you may be suffering from digital dementia. How easy is it to prevent it, and what necessary measures can be taken? Let's find out.

Don't you remember phone numbers anymore, because they're already on your mobile? Handwriting is difficult, as Google Voice Notes has made it easier. There was a time when people memorized tables of more than twenty, but now that calculators are available, even children can avoid memorizing tables. Books are now being read on screens.

Just think, you can still remember a movie you watched 10 years ago, but you cannot remember a reel you watched a while ago. In fact, you watch several reels in a few minutes. Whether it's the name of an important file saved on your computer or an important appointment, if a reminder isn't set, there's always a chance you'll miss it. You're finding it difficult to concentrate on anything. According to experts, this is the ill effect of excessive dependence on digital technology; it's commonly known as digital dementia.

Losing natural abilities

According to Dr. Vinay Goyal, Chairman of the Department of Neurology at Medanta, Gurugram , the brain is losing its natural abilities due to its dependence on technology. Phones have become a part of our lifestyle. The effect of relying on them for all tasks, both small and large, is that the brain is no longer getting enough work. This is causing brain health to deteriorate. It finds it difficult to gather and remember new information.

People often manage to accomplish multiple tasks at the same time, but they lack satisfaction. Fatigue is a constant. In fact, prolonged screen time puts a significant strain on the brain. This is affecting people's cognitive abilities—the ability to think, reason, and make decisions. This is a major cause of forgetfulness these days.

These could be the symptoms

• Feeling uneasy due to the absence of gadgets like phone, PC, GPS etc.
• Difficulty completing even seemingly simple tasks
• Inability to see problems in the face and solve them
• Difficulty in decision making
• A tendency to isolate oneself from friends and family due to difficulty remembering
• Difficulty communicating and communicating, whether in written or spoken form
• hallucinations about places, people, and events
• Difficulty understanding the photo

Brain-activating activities

• Map reading and understanding practice
• Direction finding practice
• Puzzles, chess, brain teasers etc.

When to contact a doctor?

• Have trouble concentrating
• Willpower is weakening
• Normal life and work gets disrupted
• Stress and worries began to rise
• It's hard to do anything without your phone in hand.
• Fear of losing or damaging your phone

Disadvantages of Digital Dementia

• Mental instability
• Always feeling dissatisfied
• Being sad and unhappy
• Decreased ability to feel sensations
• Stress can lead to the development of non-communicable diseases

PC:Herzindagi