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A new study paints a promising picture for the ways that digital technology use affects the aging brain. Published in Nature Human Behavior last month, neuroscientists at Baylor University and the University of Texas at Austin conducted a meta-analysis drawing on 57 different studies and data from more than 400,000 participants over the age of 50. A digital brain boost The new study found that across the board, the use of everyday digital technology like computers, smartphones, and the internet is associated with lower measures of cognitive decline in middle-aged and older adults. The strength of that positive association was comparable to established protective factors for dementia like reduced blood pressure, cognitively engaging hobbies, and exercise. The results contradict assumptions that long-term technology use might lead to cognitive decline in old age. There was no credible evidence from the longitudinal studies, or the meta-analysis as a whole, for widespread digital brain drain or digital dementia as a result of general, natural uses of digital technology, coauthors Jared Benge and Michael Scullin wrote. The meta-analysis, which aggregated findings across many different pieces of research, included previous studies on digital technology use in adults older than 50 if they examined cognitive performance or dementia diagnosis as an outcome. The average participant age was 68.7 years at the beginning of the study (a third of the studies were longitudinal, collecting data over time). These participants are described as digital pioneers who did not have access to technology and the internet while growing up. Within the meta-analysis, the three studies that focused on the use of social media showed findings that are more mixed, with inconsistent results for cognitive measures. The authors hypothesize that increased social media use could mean participants had less face-to-face social interaction, which is notable because in-person socializing is believed to protect the aging brain against dementia. Helping seniors stay social Beyond social media, technology use could enable a thriving social life for aging adults, who might use video calls, messaging, and email to stay in touch with loved onesdigital tools that share little in common with social medias algorithmic feeds. Digitally enabled social connections improve feelings of loneliness in some older adults, but they may also increase exposure to socially driven misinformation or reduce the frequency of face-to-face relationships, the authors wrote. Additional work is therefore needed to understand how, when, and for whom digital social connectedness benefits well-being and cognition. The authors also suggest that future studies should look at the same trends in lower-income countries, where a spike in dementia diagnosis is expected and access to technology is expanding rapidly. While the studys results show a robust positive trend between the use of technology and a healthy aging mind, figuring out the root cause of those positive outcomes is a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem. For example, decreased walking speed presages cognitive decline in a host of neurodegenerative diseases, but the reverse causal direction is also present: Regular walking leads to better cognitive performance and slower rates of cognitive decline, the authors wrote. For aging adults, its possible that better cognition promotes technology use, even as technology use promotes better cognition. While the current meta-analysis showed a consistent, strong positive association between natural uses of digital technologies and overall cognitive well-being, there is no simple answer to whether technology is always good or always bad for the aging brain, the authors wrote. It is unknown whether the current findings will hold in future decades for people who were initially exposed to digital technologies during childhood or as the types of general digital technology exposure change.
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E-Commerce
Its time to celebrate your favorite singers and musical acts by tuning into the American Music Awards tonight (Monday, May 26, 2025) at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. Unlike the Grammy Awards, the AMAs put the power in the hands of the fans. As explained on the AMA website, nominations are based on key fan interactions such as record sales, number of streams, and tour revenue, while the winners are voted on by the public at large. While most of the polls are closed, there is still time to cast your vote for the Collaboration of the Year and Social Song of the Year. Lets get up to speed so you can enjoy all the music. Have the AMAs always been on Memorial Day? For the first time ever, the AMAs are being held on Memorial Day, at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas. To honor our fallen soldiers, the AMAs are partnering up with the Easy Day Foundation. This nonprofit works to help surviving veterans make the transition to civilian life. Several segments on the broadcast will focus on veterans’ issues and raise money for various organizations working with the community. Who is hosting the 2025 AMAs? Jennifer Lopez is back for her sophomore year of hosting this celebration of music. She previously did the honors in 2015 and opened the show with Waiting for Tonight from her debut studio album, On the 6. Who is nominated for an AMA? Rapper Kendrick Lamar leads the pack with 10 nominations. Post Malone boasts eight nominations. Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, and Shaboozey all have seven chances to win. Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Kendrick Lamar, Morgan Wallen, Post Malone, Sabrina Carpenter, SZA, Taylor Swift, and Zach Bryan will battle it out for Artist of the Year. New kids on the block Benson Boone, Chappell Roan, Gracie Abrams, Shaboozey, Teddy Swims, and Tommy Richman will compete for New Artist of the Year. Beyond the competitive categories, music will honor some of the greats. Rod Stewart is scheduled to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award and give fans a performance treat. Janet Jackson will receive the Icon Award for her impressive body of work and hit the stage for her first television performance since 2018. Who is performing at the 2025 AMAs? Many other performers besides Jackson and Stewart will sing their hearts out. Benson Boone will give fans a sneak peak of his upcoming album American Heart by performing the single, Mystical Magical. Gwen Stefani will perform a medley from her 2004 debut solo album Love.Angel.Music.Baby to mark its 20th anniversary. Gloria Estefan will take to the AMAs for the first time in 32 years to celebrate her 50-year career. Blake Shelton, Lainey Wilson, and Reneé Rapp are also getting in on the action. Whats the Taylor Swift rumor about the AMAs? The Swiftie rumor mill is working overtime. Many believe that Taylor Swift will announce the release of Reputation (Taylor’s Version) sometime during the broadcast. Their theory is based on precedentSwift has announced other albums at award shows: the recent addition to the Handmaids Tale soundtrack, a snake necklace, and other easter eggs. How can I watch or stream the AMAs live? To see if Swifties are right, youre going to have to tune into CBS. This is the first time that the network has had the pleasure of broadcasting the ceremony, which was previously on ABC and not on the air since 2022. If you have a traditional cable subscription, you’re covered: You can watch CBS on your TV or via the CBS website. Don’t forget, you can also watch CBS for free with an over-the-air antenna. Cord-cutters can turn to Paramount+ With Showtime to stream the telecast. Some live-TV streaming services also include CBS, including YouTube TV, Fubo, and Hulu + Live TV. Remember, these services have some regional restrictions. Additionally the websites for Variety, Rolling Stone, The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, WWD, Deadline, Vibe, IndieWire, and Gold Derby will utilize Harmony, Penske Medias livestreaming platform, for your viewing pleasure. If you were too busy with a BBQ to tune in, never fear. The show will be re-aired on multiple days across a number of different stations. You can catch it on MTV on Tuesday, May 27, at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, or on CMT on Wednesday, May 28, at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, or on BET on Thursday, May 29, at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
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E-Commerce
A potentially devastating new round of tariffs looming over the European Unions trade relationship with the U.S. will be pushed back for at least a month as negotiations continue. President Trump on Friday announced plans for a 50% tariff on EU goods, expressing frustration with the 27-country bloc and repeating his talking points about the trade deficit between the U.S. and the EU. After a call over the weekend with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Trump agreed to a new deadline of July 9 to give the U.S. and EU time to hash out a deal. I agreed to the extensionJuly 9, 2025it was my privilege to do so, Trump wrote on Truth Social. The Commission President said that talks will begin rapidly. Thank you for your attention to this matter! Trumps cooperative comments were a tone shift from his Friday mood toward the bloc, when he described the talks as going nowhere and slammed the EU for being difficult to deal with. Von der Leyen reiterated that the EU needs until July to sort out the details of a new trade dealand to talk its way out of Trumps threatened 50% tariff, which would devastate existing trade norms between the global powers. The EU and U.S. share the worlds most consequential and close trade relationship, Von der Leyen said on X. Europe is ready to advance talks swiftly and decisively. On Friday, Trump also rounded on Apple, threatening to implement a 25% tariff if the Cupertino, California-based iPhone maker doesnt bring its manufacturing stateside. The passing attack was enough to prompt a dip in Apples shares as investors fretted over the high price tag of a hypothetical U.S.-made iPhone and the logistic impossibility of the company relocating its vast production operation, which is largely based in China. The fresh trade threats against the EU are just the latest turn on Trumps trade roller-coaster ride, which has thrown global alliances into chaos, upended markets, and raised a new round of red flags that U.S. consumers may again be facing higher prices on everyday goods.
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E-Commerce
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