Using the internet makes people smarter, study finds

Could it be that the internet actually makes you smarter?

That's the word from a team of scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, who reported this week that new internet users between age 55 and 78 improved their scores on decision-making and complex reasoning tests after just seven days online. The researchers said they found that surfing the web seemed to stimulate neural activity and possibly enhance cognitive functioning in the mature group of internet users.

Just a week online increased brain activity twofold in the oldest internet users studied, noted the scientists. "The results suggest that searching online may be a simple form of brain exercise that might be employed to enhance cognition in older adults," said Teena Moody, a UCLA senior research associate, in a statement.