Diving down Google search rabbit holes and mindlessly scrolling through Web pages may be dulling our brains without our even realizing it. If we’re going to spend so much of our lives online, is there a way to transform some of that time into brain-building activity?
Companies like Lumosity and BrainHQ are now offering antidotes to the affliction of Internet-induced brain drain. They’ve developed challenging and entertaining online brain exercises, games with hundreds of levels, along with personalized training programs to help people improve memory, problem solving abilities, people skills, attention span, and overall mental wellness. Based on the concept of neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to form new neural connections based on changes in environmental stimuli—these training exercises have been validated by neuroscientists and researchers at institutions such as Stanford, the University of Michigan, and the University of New South Wales.
Signing up for these online mind teasers does come at a price. For Lumosity, users get a free three-day trial when they create an account. In order to continue using the program, users can opt to subscribe for $4.49 – $14.95 per month, or $299.95 for a lifetime membership. As for BrainHQ, users can select a monthly subscription for $20 or a yearly subscription for $99.
As people start strategizing (or wavering) on their New Year’s resolutions, they may want to consider enlisting in one of these online brain boot camps. After all, the commitment is only 10 to 15 minutes a day.
