Attacking Digital Dependence
By Samantha King
From phone numbers, addresses, to simple facts people all over the world are losing their memories.
Do you ever find yourself constantly checking a screen to solve your issues? If so, you may be suffering from Digital Amnesia, which is also known as The Google Effect. Digital Amnesia is described as a dependence or symbiotic relationship between a human brain and their smart device. Anytime you do a search or store something on a device you are less likely to commit the information to memory. An example of this would be using a devices to store all important phone numbers. Often times people are unable to recall their loved ones’ phone numbers if they have changed over time because they rely on a digital device to store the information. Once you are able to identify that you are behaving in this way you can work to address it. There are several important areas in which we rely heavily on our devices for storage: facts, phone numbers, and memories.
Here are several tips and tricks which can be used to counteract the effects of digital dependence.
When relying on digital means to store information your brain will actually start to lose the ability to store and retrieve information because you will not be exercising your memory “muscle.” Using technology to store memories actually causes you not to develop the tools you need to store memories of your own. Next time you are struggling to recall information, instead of reaching for your phone, give your brain a few seconds to remember. The waiting process is necessary for memory retrieval. Testing your brain forces retrieval, so by allowing yourself to try to recall the information it will help you remember more efficiently in the future because you will build stronger connections within your brain. Waiting to retrieve the memory and then it coming to you allows you to think about not only that, but also related information. Each time you access information in memory you have the opportunity to add to or change that memory. The more you retrieve information the more likely it will be remembered long-term.
Take a phone number for example. Have you ever thought about what you would do if you lost your cellphone during a trip where you are far away from home? Would you know the phone number of your spouse or parents? A study done by Kaspersky (2015) shows that about half of consumers in the UK are able to recall their childhood phone number and a slightly lower percentage could recite their partner’s phone number. Would you be able to use your get out of jail free card?
If not, try memorizing your partners phone number and dialing it when you call instead of simply selecting their face icon.
This also pertains to your life events. As you scroll through all of the images and videos stored on an electronic device are you shocked at how many memories you forgot about? Ninety one percent of Americans surveyed claimed that their smartphones are a direct extension of their memory. This means that almost all Americans rely on a digital device to store their precious memories and information. Think of the details you might miss if you are always experiencing the world through your phone.
Rather than watching your life play out through the screen on your digital device, ask a friend to snap a picture of the important parts of your life or wait until the experience is over and journal at the end of the day. This way you can store the important memories, but also have a recording to look back on and share.
This much reliance on technology leads to weaker memories as a society and less engagement in our day to day lives. You must work to build stronger connections in your brain and learn to take time away from the internet. In conclusion, to avoid severe digital amnesia you can practice retrieving information from your memories rather than searching the internet for the answer right away, working out your memory muscle by practicing recalling information, and by being present in your everyday life.
Resources
Clements, R. Do You Have 'Digital Amnesia' From Relying on Your Smartphone? (2015, July 8). Retrieved March 31, 2020, from https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/digital-amnesia-relying-smartphone-32296958
Engineering Brain (Clipart). (no date). Retrieved from http://clipart.library.com/clipart/n1030829.htm
Kochetkova, K., Ilyin, Y., Grustniy, L., Malenkovich, S., & Esposito, J. (2015, July 1). How to Survive in the 'Digital Amnesia' World. Retrieved March 31, 2020, from https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/digital-amnesia-survival/9194/
Metivier, A. (2018, October 9). Digital Amnesia: 5 Ways To Stop Google From Ruining Your Memory. Retrieved March 31, 2020, from https://www.magneticmemorymethod.com/digital-amnesia/
Sparrow, B., Liu, J., & Wegner, D. M. (2001). Google effects on memory: Cognitive consequences of having information at our fingertips. Science, 333 (6403), 776-778.