THREE NOT-SO-BAD THINGS ON AGING AND LONGEVITY

1. One Cheer for Technology.

Deep fakes, AI job displacements, and children plastering their faces to Instagram. We’re so down on technology here at TNSB that we wrote this column with a fountain pen.

But perhaps we are a bit hasty. New research published this month in Nature Human Behavior suggests some upsides to the digital age. Researchers from the University of Texas and Baylor University reviewed more than 50 studies on adults over 50, looking at everyday tech use (computers, smartphones, internet browsing), and whether it correlated with cognitive health or dementia diagnoses. The results? Older adults who used digital tools regularly scored better on cognitive tests and were less likely to develop cognitive impairment or dementia than those who used them rarely or not at all.

As with so much research, there are open questions as to causation versus correlation. It is possible that the cumulative research simply reflects the fact that more cognitively intact older adults use technology more than those with declining cognitive ability. And differing levels of socioeconomic affluence – and access to technology – may play a causative role here. But at least, as we shake out our quill, it is modestly refreshing to contemplate some of the upsides of technology.

Shameless Self Promotion #1.

If one of something is good, two of something must be better. At least that is what we tell ourselves when we tear into that second bag of M&Ms.

And that’s why we are launching our second weekly newsletter, “Healthy to 100: The Science of Social Connection.” Social connection is now like the weather: everyone talks about it, but no one does anything about it. We want to help change that by offering the latest research and insights on social connection and share best practices for how you can increase your own social capital.

Our first newsletter will be released next Monday, August 25th. You can subscribe by clicking this link, and maybe, just maybe, you can get a free bag of M&Ms as a bonus.

2. Two Cheers for Beer (or for Drinking Less of It).

We’ve reported from time to time on the mounting medical evidence that drinking alcohol at any levels has negative health consequences, and the cumulative reporting on the topic seems to be seeping through to American’s behaviors. For the first time, Gallup is reporting that a majority of Americans, 53%, say drinking in moderation, or “one or two drinks a day,” is bad for one’s health. 

That view appears to be impacting consumption patterns. According to the new Gallup poll, the share of U.S. adults who drink alcohol has fallen to an all-time low of 54% - a 6-point drop from 2023. The change is especially noticeable among women, whose drinking rates have dropped 11 points to 51%, and among younger adults (ages 18–34), which declined by 9%. The drop in drinking among younger cohorts reflects a rising belief (now at 66%) that any level of drinking is bad for your health. Gallup also reports that the decline in drinking has not led, at least over the last four years, to a substitution effect among other drugs, as reported consumption of marijuana, for instance, has remained steady during that time period.

The one thing keeping us drinking? Politics apparently. Drinking among Republicans has plummeted by 19% over the last couple years, while drinking among Democrats has remained steady in the Trump era. Check back in four years to see whether the pattern has reversed.

Shameless Self Promotion #2.

What do 1,800 washing machines, a stack of milk bottles, and a roundabout appreciation society have in common? Nothing, except the Dull Men’s Club.

Founded in the 1980s by Grover Click (a deliberately dull pseudonym), the club began as a small embrace of ordinariness. Forty years later, it’s millions strong on Facebook, with chapters in the US and UK. Members gather to revel in “safe excitement” - not just watching paint dry, but also grass growing, ice melting, corn sprouting, and wood warping.

You can check out part one of the series now and join us for part two soon.

3. And Three Cheers for Volunteering.

A new study in Social Science & Medicine has found that regular time spent helping outside the home significantly slows cognitive decline in middle-aged and older adults.

The study looked at two types of helping: formal volunteering through organizations, and informal helping, like assisting friends, neighbors, or other non-household individuals, and found that both types of engagement provided cognitive benefits. Tracking over 30,000 U.S. adults across two decades, researchers from the University of Texas and the University of Massachusetts at Boston found that regular helpers experienced much slower cognitive decline compared with those who didn’t help.

The researchers identified benefit tiers related to the amount of time committed to volunteering: low (under 2 hours per week), moderate (2 to 4 hours per week) and high (over four hours per week). Not surprisingly, the more you put in, the more you get out, but with declining marginal value as the hours climb. The researchers also noted that gradual increases in hours volunteered would lead to better cognitive results than sharp changes in volunteering practices, such as jumping from a non-volunteering role to a high hours role, over a short time period.

Which Not-So-Bad Thing surprised you the most? Let us know by sharing below!

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