Week 10 [04.06.2018-10.06.2018] Memory and digital technology : how digital technologies reshaped our memory
Nowadays many of us rely on technology and the advantages it brings. Since we have the access to endless information within a reach of our hand, we no longer need to make notes of them or put effort to remember anything. Birthday dates, telephone numbers, anniversaries – they can all be stored in a phone calendar, with a reminder set to call us on time.
Although such possibility of storing so much data definitely makes our life easier, the question is whether it makes our memory and brain any better or in contrary: it disrupts its operation and makes it worse? Although digital technology aims to make our lives easier, I would like to make a point that easier not always means better. Because as long as technology is there next to us, ready to help whenever we might need it, everything is fine.
But what if a phone we rely on will get out of battery? What if you lose signal and won’t be able to connect with the Internet? The entire problem here is not the technology itself, but how we have taught ourselves to rely on it ultimately and how we replace our brains with smartphones instead. The problem is with our thinking about it: if the learning doesn’t come easy, why would we waste time and try to remember something if we can simply ask Google?
I wouldn’t dare to say that all humans are lazy, but I’d say we all seek for easier and better options most of the time, the options that save us tiredness and fatigue. Example of that might be a lift and stairs: how many of us would go up the stairs and get tired, knowing there’s a lift somewhere to spare us the effort, even though a little workout would do nothing but good for us? The same works with the digital technology and the memory.
We ourselves chose it not to work, leaving the entire job for the digital technologies. It is also worth noticing that through constantly scrolling social media feeds, we give our brain information we don’t really need.
As Professor Schwarz explains, ‘We’re constantly losing the information that’s just come in -- we’re constantly replacing it, and there’s no place to hold what you’ve already gotten. It makes for a very superficial experience; you’ve only got whatever’s in your mind at the moment.’
1. Do you think, that digital technologies reshaped our memory?
2. What do you think about Professor Schwarz’s statement? Do you agree with him? Why/why not?
Source
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/11/technology-changes-memory_n_4414778.html?guccounter=1
Comments
I agree with his statement. Nowadays, it is clear that most of us rely more on their short-term memory than long-term memory because of reasons mentioned earlier. It explains why so many people sometimes have problems remembering things. Every day, we are simply too much bombarded with new information that our mind can no longer handle it in an efficient way.
Yes, I agree with his statement. Nowadays there is too much information to be able to remember all of them.
What's more, once there was no internet to check something, so people were adapted to remember information. People born in the Internet age are taught that everything can be checked. I agree with the professor's statement. It seems to me that the reason lies in the fact that young people with so much information that flows through the brain every day are not able to remember everything.
Author of this article just did't come to realize that our world evolve not just linearly but exponentially and there is nothing wrong with technology and people relaying on that.
I don't thinks it is such a bed think - it may be a good habit to train your memory, but even if I was better at remembering appointments and tasks by myself, I would write them down anyway, because otherwise I would worry that I forgot something.
I think that his statement is only partially true. We always had to decide what kind of information we want to keep in our brains. That's a thing that we learn and use to adapt to the different environments.
I think so. But people didn't remember more at past centuries, there just weren't so many information, so people just couldn't access more of it.
2. What do you think about Professor Schwarz’s statement? Do you agree with him? Why/why not?
I think he's is right. We make our conclusions, but don't remember everything, and that's fine.
Of course. I fully agree with this statement. And I agree with a statement, that a man in XVII century received the same amount of information as XXI century man does in one day. I think our brain capacity cannot keep up with the amount of information received, and he just pushes out whatever there's before to fit in new pieces of it.
2. What do you think about Professor Schwarz’s statement? Do you agree with him? Why/why not?
Again, I agree. I see on my own example that if I learn couple of new things at the same time, it is hard for me to remember everything, and often one is at the cost of the other.
Yes, I agree with Professor Schwarz's statement because we can't remember everything.
Yes, nowadays we are just bombarded with all these information from the internet. It would pretty hard to remember every single one of them and it doesn’t make any sense.
Yes, and there is little we can do about it. In fact it would be even worse, when we will be able to install memory implants and rely on those.
What do you think about Professor Schwarz’s statement? Do you agree with him? Why/why not?
Not really. Information we gain repetitively would be remembered and it will stay with us for long time. So we don't remember only things that are available now.
Professor is obviously right, but is this negative? I think it's just a sign of times and it doesn't affect on us in a bad way
Professor Shwarz is right. Looking at myself and people around me I noticed that almost everyone have a problem with remembering daily affairs.
I've read few articles similar to Prof. Schwarz statement about amount of information bombarding us. I agree with it. Unfortunately, this number will be increasing and I think in the future our species will find a way to turn that into something beneficial for us.
His statement simply says we have so much info we can't remember it all. Normal. Nothing special to me. It's not a disease.
Unfortunately it's true, maybe we should implement some kind of filter in the nearest future? ;)
Thanks for comment.
Thanks for comment Marcin!
but about filtering some info - that's a good observation.
Thank you for comment :).
Thanks for your opinion!
And yes - I agree with your first statement ;).
Thanks!
I see your point ;).
Thanks!
Yea, totally - it's not a disease.
Thanks for comment ;).
Thank you!
I think it's a problem of our generation.
We should remember about our brain and systematically train it.
Thanks for comment!