Senior citizens who use these devices regularly can delay what could otherwise be cognitive decline.
Among the greatest fears that people face when it comes to aging is that their mental abilities will decline, but if the findings of a recent study are true, then it could be that the regular use of PCs and mobile technology could help to slow that process in a highly meaningful way.
Cognitive and mental decline were found to have been delayed in users of smartphones and computers.
The study was published in the respected medical journal, Intelligence, in which it was described that the use of computers and mobile technology could help to explain why today’s seniors seem to be four to eight years younger (on a cognitive level) than people of the same age a decade ago. The study showed that the positive impact of these computing devices held up, even when controlling for certain factors such as health, gender, and education.
The mobile technology study was conducted on participants in the U.K. and Germany who were 50 years and older.
There were about 2,000 participants in the study who were tested back in 2006. Then another group of 3,000 were tested in 2012. The conclusions were drawn by Valeria Bordone and her team at the International Institute for Applied Systems analysis.
According to Bordone, “We know that IQ (intelligence quotient) has been increasing for many decades.” The trend of continual increases in IQ is known as the Flynn effect, and it has been observed since the 1930s. The way in which it has been explained is that throughout this period of time, there has been a worldwide improvement to access to nutrition, healthcare, and education for the population as a whole. Despite the fact that these improvements have been subtle from one year to the next, they have given people the ability to access more mentally stimulating activities and to better their cognitive abilities. The outcome has been higher IQ test scores.
That said, Bordone explained that IQ is considered to be a very limited way of measuring cognitive skills, so this study involved a broader range of testing, to achieve greater accuracy. The link between the use of computers and mobile technology and the slowing in cognitive decline among seniors was shown by correlation in Bordone’s study, as opposed to being directly demonstrated.
When looking for jobs, the use of smartphones and tablets is giving graduates a new advantage.
Another graduating class has just made its way out the door of colleges and universities and is now on the hunt for employment, and the more those graduates use mobile technology, the greater their job hunting opportunities appear to be.
This is good news, as graduates are starting off in the worst financial situations, ever.
Among his year’s graduating class, 71 percent have an average student loan debt of $35,000, according to Edvisors. Furthermore among all of those who have graduated, the skills that they have on their resumes are adequate enough that only 11 percent of business leaders feel that those individuals are fully prepared for the workplace. That data is from a study conducted by Gallup/Lumina. Fortunately, mobile technology appears to be helping these former students to be able to improve their abilities to find jobs and to appeal to employers.
Mobile technology is helping in several ways, including online career coaching for new grads.
Two different players in the education technology market have launched an online career coaching service beta that uses mobile tech to help job hunting grads to be able to get a grasp on their market. The two companies involved in this service are Chegg and InsideTrack . Chegg found its start as a used textbook rentals company based in Santa Clara, California. It has broadened its services to reach into the educational and employment sectors.
Chegg has entered into a partnership with InsideTrack, which is a monthly subscription service that brings job hunting graduates together with professionals who can assist them in being hired. As a result of this partnership, the 250 professional coaches from InsideTrack will be accessible by the student base at Chegg that is currently 15 million strong.
The first tier of subscription ($19.95 per month) gives graduates employment training exercises and search content. At a more premium level ($44.95 per month), the graduates also receive one live conversation every month with their coach, as well as unlimited messaging with a coach.
All of these services are available over mobile technology, which means that graduates are able to obtain assistance whenever and wherever they are. What has yet to be seen is whether or not these money-starved grads will be willing to fork over the subscription fee in order to access those services.
