Brain Training App 'Lumosity' to Pay $2 Million to Settle Deceptive Advertising Charges

[garoto]

Preyed on fears? How stupid are people?

These are people that were using the app cognitive improvements, not sure if they were stupid but kind of clearly were vulnerable to getting fooled right?

 

[windywalks]

So I saw similar statements at University, however it was in the context of a moment. As in, you are not recalling the smell of cheeseburgers or new car when you start to cut down a tree, unless you actively pursue those thoughts.

Just one of those facts, that taken out of context, makes all the difference

 

[gaximus]

I didn't buy it. I knew was fake, that's why I didn't buy it. But I want the compensation for downloading it.
[doublepost=1452019566,1452019520][/doublepost]Everyone who played this wasted their time and we deserve money for the wasted time.

So you didn't know it was fake until you downloaded it and used it? Maybe it works, increasing your cognitive capacity to allow you to see it was a fake, meaning it does work.

 

[neuropsychguy]

I'm going to offer my professional opinion on this (my job is related to this area).

People would ask me if I recommended Lumosity as a way to remain mentally active. My answer was always - "if you don't mind paying and enjoy it, then go ahead, it's not going to hurt. It probably doesn't do much but it's better than doing nothing (unless the money you spend could be going towards something better)."

What can you do to get similar or better mental results? Read, take a class, exercise (being physically active is just as [or more] important than mental fitness), play games, travel, be socially involved (friends, work, church, volunteering), take up a hobby, etc. Most of these are a lot less expensive and most will give better results.

Will Lumosity stave off dementia? Worst case - no. Best case - no, but it might delay its onset for a handful of months (but you can get better results from exercising regularly and otherwise being mentally active). This, however, is not supported by any research; I'm just giving it the benefit of the doubt.

This lawsuit is completely warranted but if you enjoy Lumosity and think it's doing something beneficial then keep at it; just know that it's probably not going to make your cognitive abilities better.

 

[Parasprite]

The fact that they've been doing this for years and haven't been slapped for it yet was pretty worrying. I'm just amazed it took this long.

 

[freepomme]

So you didn't know it was fake until you downloaded it and used it? Maybe it works, increasing your cognitive capacity to allow you to see it was a fake, meaning it does work.

No, I always knew it was fake.

 

[Parasprite]

[doublepost=1452017718,1452017608][/doublepost]
I think so....but I don't think they can exactly sell it as medicine, or at the very least somewhere on the label it has to show the "not endorsed by the FDA" or something to that effect. It can still be misleading to say the least.

There are caveats but it's generally legal as long as the product itself is relatively safe and doesn't make actual medical claims.

For instance:

* "Heart healthy" versus "Cures congestive heart failure"
* "Improve cognitive and mental functioning" versus "Helps stave off Alzheimer's and Dementia"
* "Improved energy and focus" versus "Aids symptoms of ADHD and narcolepsy"
* "Optimizes pancreatic function" versus "Prevent hyperglycemia and reduces the risk of complications in people with Diabetes"
* "Improved urinary function" versus "Prevents and treats common UTIs"

Is this splitting hairs? Absolutely.

 

[cocky jeremy]

Preyed on fears? How stupid are people?

Very... very.

 

[CFreymarc]

It's a controversial area, and a difficult one to scientifically study.. with confounders of placebo effect and confirmation bias.
There are studies suggesting these apps are beneficial in certain circumstances, but even those studies have been subject to critical analysis.
Certainly it is too early to make big claims, especially about preventing disease like dementia.

These "brain training" apps are the latest snake oil products. Leverage fear, get a plant in the audience that says it helped them out, sell out the wagon of medicine bottles and move to the next town.

A lot in the field of mental health is a gray zone. Some even claim anything out of the DSM is subjective as most of the work is authored by committee and voted in by consensus instead of independent study. These "brain games" are fun but doing crossword puzzles or Sudoku can channels one's mind as much.

 

[Nor'easter]

So I bought a subscription years ago and I think it even auto-renewed when I hadn't intended. And yes, I got to the 99th percentile but decided that it offered no benefits (as the FTC contends). Is the FTC supposed to share that money with me, the swindled consumer, or do they just keep it for themselves?

 

[doug123mr]

That makes much more sense... It would just be evolutionarily dumb to make an organism support an enormous organ that is 90% inert all the time.

Of course it's also possible that we've obsoleted large parts of our brains-- like the parts that are critical to face to face communication and long term policy planning...
[doublepost=1452021542,1452021422][/doublepost]
Or Haskell...

I suspect tasks like that are much better at forming new connections in your brain, though I suspect their effect against the debilitating affects of aging are still limited...

(what I need is a brain training game that improves my ability to correctly use effect and affect...)

The ten percent legend is decades old and not true.... One discussion:
http://www.snopes.com/science/stats/10percent.asp

 

[Xiroteus]

I remember playing a Wii game at my friends place, that said you only use 10% of your brain. It all sounded like hogwash even without studies.

It will be great when that lie dies for good.