1. Running head: TECHNOLOGY DEPENDENCE & DEMENTIA 1
Technology Dependence & Dementia
Executive Summary
Jodie-Ann M. Deusser
PSYCH 670
July 18, 2016
Mark Schmitz

2. TECHNOLOGY DEPENDENCE & DEMENTIA 2
Technology Dependence & Dementia
Although the advancement of technology made our lives easier along with aiding in
production for industrial companies there some fall backs with the contributions not only
technology taken over the job force but technology put it marks in the home environment as well
impacted our neurological health. Once we rely on retained information that once taught to us in
the educational environment can now be replaced with the use of World Wide Web. These
phenomena are disabling our social interaction and ability to retained vital information’s
meaning we once used to communicate face to face nowadays you can observe face to screen
interaction among with room full of people. Once before our grandparents used to rely on
memorization of phone number now we have devices that store this information, if we want to
learn new information the library was once the gateway to knowledge now you can search for
information and gain answer instantaneously. Even though may not be alarming but how can
technology alter our memory and how much did technology change our lives.
Why Was This Study Done?
A trend that was started to become noticed in the eastern part of the world a new form of
mental illness starting to become emerge call Internet addiction. Call to action South Korea was
the first country to notice a trend developing the decade ago when physicians were seeing young
patients with brain functioning issues that commonly found in the elderly and patients with
conditions such as strokes, traumatic brain injury, or tumors. Many researchers around the globe
supported findings that South Korea presented and revealed the alarming percentage of children
who are raised in digital age developing similar cognitive problems and attention issues and

3. TECHNOLOGY DEPENDENCE & DEMENTIA 3
struggling with memory, organization, reasoning, problem-solving and in person social
communication. In 2012 a term Digital Dementia invented by German Neuroscientist Manfred
Spitzer to describe phenomena the use of digital technology results in the breakdown of
cognitive abilities in the way that was starting to become commonly seen of those who suffer
from brain injury or psychiatric illness. Watcher, H. (2015) point out Digital Dementia can affect
anyone at any given age; it does not age specific, but it is thought to believe youths are higher at
risk due to their brain still forming. Spitzer strongly suggested in his research for children to
avoid media consumption until 15 to 18 years of age. After Spitzer publication of Digitale
Demez, digital media was called to be banned from classrooms aiding to reduce the number of
children becoming addicted to technology in Germany (Frejd, S., n.d.).
How Technology Alter Learning and Neurological?
Before digital so called interactions within their environment allow learning how to scan
or look for information creatively and ability to access multiples sources of information, learning
how to examine or investigate information creatively and ability to access multiple of sources of
information, practically simultaneously. Newer generation brains are developing the different
aspect of learning such as reasoning, memory, problem-solving and creativity and are becoming
at risk. Each child developed focus determined in their environment such as those children where
modern technology lunge at them into the world where demands for attention from them increase
histrionically because of distraction replace care. Note that capacity of functioning memory
decreases causing the brain accustomed and reward creating constant switching task at the
outflow of proper attention.
Recently, UCLA research illuminated 14 percent of young people, between the ages of
18 to 39, complained of memory problems (Frejd, S., n.d.). Uses of technology not only

4. TECHNOLOGY DEPENDENCE & DEMENTIA 4
convince, but it also limits brain function to store and recall information. The brain prioritizes or
categories individual pieces of information. Information provided by MRI scans can highlight
heavy technology use can likely cause an over-developed left hemisphere while the right
hemisphere remains underdeveloped.
These images are giving researchers information that pre frontal is not being worked as
once was before enhancement of technology and making our daily lives easier as technology
promise because so pre-frontal region that controls empathy and emotional centers impacted due
to the fact of screen time. “We’re also hard-wiring the brain to be less adaptable. Another effect
that concerns me is the impact of violence. We can’t predict violence based on the amount of
time spent playing violent video games, but we can say that individuals who play increased
numbers of violent video games have decreased empathetic responses to real-life violence. If we
inoculate ourselves to final images on the screen, it also depletes the brain’s tendency to seek out
real-life stimulation” (Dodgen-Magee, 2010).
An early set of dementia related to a right side of the brain being underdeveloped, the
right hemisphere is responsible for creative skills and emotional thought while the left
hemisphere responsible for rational thought, numerical computation, and locating facts.
Technology gives the power to check on information and locates the answer in speed rate.
Spitzer supplementary explains an individual who relies heavily on their technology devices may
experience deterioration in cerebral performances that control our short term memory
dysfunction. Spitzer also elaborated how the short-term memory pathways become deteriorated
from the underuse if we overuse technology.

5. TECHNOLOGY DEPENDENCE & DEMENTIA 5
Is Technology Changing our Social Ability?
Digital technologies are associated not to how we remember but how we forget and how some
of the things that we view on social medias can also reflect on our retention memories about
certain demographical regions. Now due to the phenomenon of finding more in the depth of
cerebral changes an increased focus “the interactive and locational capabilities of social and
spatial media” in other words how media is persuading and altering cultural practices of
knowing, remembering, and engaging time and space. With the use of google earth and looking
at pictures in searching for the particular region can show a different time frame or the different
perspective than what you find. Determine what a person search the results can give a positive
or negative reflection because of the time space meaning everything is not always due to date
and within changes. “While there is substantial and growing focus on how new social and spatial
technologies shape knowledge, knowing, time, temporalities, memory, and attention, much of
the emphasis to date has been focused at the level of the individual – individual subjectivity
formation, identity, privacy, or transformations of individual experiences of space and time”
(Elwood &Mitchell, 2015).
Statistical Findings
The result from the year 2004 to 2009 Americans alone had an 117% increase in the amount
of time they spent online statistic shown from the period of 2001-2009 show emails sent or read
increased from 25% to 45%, news related articles rose 20 %, and the development of social
networking and online banking skyrocketed. Social networking boomed in 2007 with an average
time spent of 2 hours and 10 minutes to outstanding 5 hours and 35 minutes. This is a time
increase of 3 hours and 25 minutes by 2009. This is due to the formation of many different social
networking sites. Due to the affordability of computers and the internet over the decades, more

6. TECHNOLOGY DEPENDENCE & DEMENTIA 6
households now have access to computers and the internet in the homes. Cellular data and the
internet along with the development of social networking, 13.7% of people admit it is harder to
stay offline for several days, 12.3% felt the need to reduce the amount of time they spent, and
8.7% hide their usage from family, friends, and employers. An incredible 5.9% of adults admit
their internet addiction has caused relationship conflicts.
How does it measure up to memory loss? The automatic brain priorities or categories
pieces of information but depending heavily on technology use does not only limit brain
functioning such as store information and recalls, but the brain no longer prioritized or
information. The CDC 2011 BRFSS survey shows a result of 12.7% out of 59,852 adults study
reported increased confusion or memory loss preceding 12 months, and 35.2% said experience
functional difficulties with reporting an increase of confusion or memory loss among 21 random
states. Please reference the tables and figures at the end of this summary for a table regarding the
previously mentioned statistic.
Globally Dementia is not an uncommon diagnosis. In fact, although resource does not
clearly state how or when time mental reduction started but in the United States alone roughly
397,644 out of population 293,655,5041 diagnoses. Whereas in South Korea, where implication
of cognitive decline association with technology first notice 48,233,7602 of the total population
approximately 65,314 have diagnosed. Please reference the tables and figures at the end of this
summary for a table regarding the previously mentioned statistic.
Conclusion
Although the facts can be surprising to many we are just in the infant phase of locating and
accelerating more grounding effects Researchers, medical professions, educators, and parents

7. TECHNOLOGY DEPENDENCE & DEMENTIA 7
must be aware of how and what we are interacting with children. Also, we must be self-aware of
how much exposure we are allowing ourselves to these devices. Educators still need to teach the
basic of learning and discover information by use of the Dewey Decimal system in a library and
to encourage to read to locate information not to fall into the trap of receiving information fast
and easy way. Parents and adults must also remember to set down devices or shut them down
including T.V. Encourage face to face interaction with family or friends or simple interaction in
the coffee line to ensure both hemispheres stay fit. Researchers and medical professionals need
to team together and help those who already experience these symptoms and develop a way to
reduce, or even ways bring back, cognitive function to a brain that is affected.

8. TECHNOLOGY DEPENDENCE & DEMENTIA 8
Dementia by Country/Region, Extrapolated Incidence, Population Estimated Used
Country Extrapolated Incidence Population
China 1,758,796 1,298,847,6242
United States 397,644 293,655,5041
Japan 172,424 127,333,0022
India 1,442,234 1,065,070,6072
Brazil 249,295 184,101,1092
Germany 111,612 82,424,6092
United Kingdom 81,613 60,270,7082
Russia 194,958 143,974,0592
France 81,821 60,424,2132
South Korea 65,314 48,233,7602
TABLE 2. Self-reported increased confusion or memory loss (CML) and associated functional difficulties
among adults aged ≥60 years, by state — Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 21 states, 2011
State
Increased CML
Functional difficulties among those with increased
CML
Unweighted
no.
in sample
Unweighted
no. with
increased
CML
Weighted
%
reporting
increased
CML
(95%
CI)
Unweighted
no.
in sample
Unweighted
no. with
increased
CML
Weighted
%
reporting
associated
difficulties
(95% CI)
21 states
overall
59,852 6,807 12.7
(12.1–
13.3)
6,654 2,254 35.2 (32.7–37.8)
Arkansas 2,127 374 20.0
(17.9-
22.3)
371 135 38.6 (32.5-45.0)
California 2,073 328 17.0
(14.9–
19.3)
328 95 30.0 (23.9–36.9)

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Florida 5,194 651 13.8
(12.2–
15.7)
637 232 42.0 (34.7–49.8)
Hawaii 3,108 335 9.2
(8.0–
10.6)
333 115 38.4 (31.2–46.2)
Illinois 2,193 241 11.4
(9.7–
13.4)
241 80 39.1 (30.6–48.3)
Iowa 2,827 233 9.0
(7.8–
10.4)
232 62 31.1 (23.8–39.4)
Louisiana 4,424 303 7.3
(6.2–
8.5)
297 122 43.4 (35.4–51.8)
Maryland 1,805 168 9.5
(7.6–
11.7)
165 40 24.7 (16.6–35.0)
Michigan 1,461 208 13.9
(11.4–
16.9)
208 57 31.2 (21.6–42.8)
Nebraska 4,705 578 12.0
(10.8–
13.4)
576 211 33.3 (28.3–38.7)
New
Hampshire
2,447 262 11.0
(9.6–
12.6)
183 58 33.6 (26.1–42.1)
New York 1,232 131 10.6
(8.6–
13.0)
129 42 39.5 (29.1–51.0)
North
Carolina
4,618 393 8.5
(7.3–
9.8)
385 153 43.3 (35.7–51.3)
Oklahoma 1,810 212 12.1
(10.5–
14.0)
210 70 35.7 (28.3–43.8)
South
Carolina
5,062 610 13.7
(12.1–
15.4)
598 248 39.7 (33.3–46.4)
Tennessee 2,586 159 6.4
(5.2–
7.7)
148 68 47.1 (36.7–57.7)
Texas 2,922 394 12.6
(10.8–
14.6)
391 138 37.8 (30.3–45.9)
Utah 973 166 17.0
(14.4–
19.9)
164 42 30.2 (22.2–39.6)
Washington 4,360 697 15.7
(14.4–
17.1)
695 154 22.3 (18.5–26.5)
West
Virginia
2,061 156 8.3
(7.0–
9.9)
155 78 52.2 (43.1–61.2)
Wisconsin 1,864 208 11.1
(9.0–
13.5)
208 54 21.3 (14.8–29.6)
Abbreviation: CI = confidence interval.

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References
CDC. (2012). Self-Reported Increased Confusion or Memory Loss and Associated Functional
Difficulties Among Adults Aged ≥60 Years — 21 States, 2011. Retrieved from Morbidity
and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR):
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6218a1.htm#tab1
Dodgen-Magee. (2010) http://magazine.biola.edu/article/10-fall/how-is-technology-shaping-
generation-y/).
Elwood, Sarah; Mitchell, Katharyne, Cultural Geographies22.1 (Jan 2015): 147-154.
Frejd, S. (n.d.). The Rise of Digital Dementia: Protecting Yourself and Your Clients. Retrieved
from http://www.aacc.net/2013/10/18/the-rise-of-digital-dementia-protecting-yourself-
and-your-clients.
Gwinn, J. (2013, November 12). Overuse of Technology Can Lead to 'Digital Dementia'.
Retrieved from Alzheimers: http://www.alzheimers.net/2013-11-12/overuse-of-
technology-can-lead-to-digital-dementia/
Impact of Technology on Attention and Memory . (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.corwin.com/upm-
data/64627_48_49_New_Information_on_how_technoology_affects_attention.pdf
O'Gorman, M. (2015). Taking Care of Digital Dementia. CTheory, 2-18.

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Wachter, H. (2015). Kids & Digital Dementia. Experience Life. Retrieved from
https://experiencelife.com/article/kids-digital-dementia/
Technology, memory, and collective knowing
Complete survey questions, available at http://www.cdc.gov/brfss.