手机上那些"益智"小游戏,真的对大脑有好处吗?

You've probably seen ads for apps promising to make you smarter in just a few minutes a day. Hundreds of so-called "brain training" programs can be purchased for download.

你很可能看见过App的广告，说每天用上几分钟，就能让你变得更聪明。成百上千的所谓“大脑训练”软件可以付费下载。

These simple games are designed to challenge mental abilities, with the ultimate goal of improving the performance of important everyday tasks.

这些简单的游戏是为了挑战思考能力设计的，终极目标是改善在日常重要任务中的表现。

But can just clicking away at animations of swimming fish or flashed streets signs on your phone really help you improve the way your brain functions?

但是仅仅在手机上点击游泳的鱼的动画或者闪烁的路标真的能帮助你改善大脑运行的方式吗？

Two large groups of scientists and mental health practitioners published consensus statements, months apart in 2017, on the effectiveness of these kinds of brain games.

两组科学家和精神健康从业者在2017年间隔几月分别出版了有关此类益智游戏的有效性的共识声明

Both included people with years of research experience and expertise in cognition, learning, skill acquisition, neuroscience and dementia. Both groups carefully considered the same body of evidence available at the time.

两项声明都包括了在认知、学习、技能习得、神经科学和痴呆方面的有数年研究经验的人员。两组也都仔细考虑了当时可以获取的同样的大批证据。

Yet, they issued exactly opposite statements.

是的，他们发布了完全相反的声明。

One concluded that "there is little evidence that playing brain games improves underlying broad cognitive abilities, or that it enables one to better navigate a complex realm of everyday life."

一项声明得出结论，“几乎没有证据可以表明玩益智游戏能改善潜在的广阔认知能力，或者能让一个人更好地应对日常生活的复杂情况。

The other argued that "a substantial and growing body of evidence shows that certain cognitive training regimens can significantly improve cognitive function, including in ways that generalize to everyday life."

另一项则称“大量的、越来越多的证据显示，某些认知训练法能显著改善认知功能，包括了可以推广至日常生活的方式。

Brain training programs are an appealing shortcut, a "get smart quick" scheme. But improving or maintaining cognition is likely not going to be quick and easy. Instead, it may require a lifetime – or at least an extended period – of cognitive challenge and learning.

大脑训练软件是很具有吸引力的捷径，一个“快速变聪明”的计划。但是改善或者维持认知很可能不会快速便捷。相反，认知能力的挑战和学习可能需要一生的时间--或者至少一个延长的周期。

If you're worried about your cognition, what should you do?

如果你担心自己的认知能力的话，应该怎么做呢？

First, if you do engage in brain games, and you enjoy them, please continue to play. But keep your expectations realistic. If you're playing solely to obtain cognitive benefits, instead consider other activities that might be as cognitively stimulating, or at least more fulfilling – like learning a new language, for instance, or learning to play an instrument.

首先，如果你在玩益智游戏并且很享受的话，就继续玩吧。但是让自己的期待现实一点。如果你仅仅是为了获得认知上的好处而玩游戏的话，就考虑其他的可能刺激认知，或者至少更让人有成就感的活动，比如学习一门新语言，或者学习乐器。