3 November 2008
Older people can help stave off ageing by using broadband internet, it has been claimed. According to Tom Stewart, Joint Managing Director of System Concepts, the web can help older people keep their minds active and alert, which can benefit their mental wellbeing. "With the internet, people are doing things like communicating more quickly and reading correspondence and researching things, they are doing mental problem solving," he explained. He added that contrary to popular belief, it is not getting older that prevents people from doing things such as using the internet. Instead, it is not doing them that causes people to age. Research by scientists at the University of California shows that surfing the internet triggers parts of the brain which control decision-making and complex reasoning. Some 16 million households across Great Britain now have access to the internet, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics. In terms of broadband, the data shows that 56% of all UK households had such connections in 2008.
© 2008 Adfero Ltd
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