Most of us spend at least part of the day in front of a screen — whether it’s on our phones, computers, or TVs.

With the first two examples, we’re probably engaged in some kind of real activity — writing a text or replying to an email or putting together an agenda for a meeting. But when we’re watching TV — especially by ourselves — there’s a greater tendency to lose ourselves in the images or drift off without a lot of thinking going on.

University of Arizona professor of psychology Gene Alexander has been involved in research into how sedentary behavior — like passively watching television — is linked to dementia. His recent study does show a connection, and The Show spoke with him to learn more about the specifics.

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