Cognitive benefits and risks of digital technology engagement

This systematic review delineates the contrasting cognitive consequences of both positive and negative of digital technology engagement across four core domains: attention, memory, decision-making, and neuroplasticity, spanning multiple age cohorts. Framed by established theoretical perspectives (Cognitive Load Theory, Multimedia Learning Theory, Neuroplasticity, and the Document Literacy Framework), the study integrates outcomes from 15 methodologically robust, peer-reviewed empirical investigations (2017–2023), identified under PRISMA 2020 protocols for their rigor and direct relevance to cognitive outcomes. The analysis demonstrates that pervasive, unstructured digital technologies usage promote attention fragmentation, reliance on memory offloading, and cognitive overload. In contrast, purposefully designed digital technologies, such as educational applications and gamified learning environments enhance metacognitive capabilities, foster adaptive decision-making, and stimulate beneficial neuroplasticity adaptations. These evidence-based conclusions provide critical direction for designing educational initiatives, shaping digital literacy policy, and defining future research trajectories. Subsequent investigations warrant the adoption of objective digital usage analytics, methodologies embracing cultural diversity, and controlled experimental paradigms to fully decipher the continuously shifting cognitive landscape shaped by digital interactions.