Cognitive Offloading - How The Internet Changes Our Brains By Taking Over Human Memories

in news •  8 years ago  (edited)

New scientific research reveals our growing dependence on the Internet, caused by easy access to large amount of online information is influencing our ability for problem solving, memory and learning.

Recent scientific study published in the journal Memory by researchers from University of California, Santa Cruz and University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign have discovered that cognitive offloading, or habit of relying on the Internet as a quick memory aid, increases after each use.

It appears that memory - process which is happening in our head - is becoming more and more of process that requires external help. This new research shows that our memory is changing. Every day, we use the Internet to support and extend our memory and become more and more dependent upon it.
In the past we used to attempt to memorize things on our own but now we don't make an effort anymore.
While more information becomes quickly accessible via computers, smartphones and other devices, our daily lives progressively become more reliant on it.

-logic

Sources:

"Using the Internet to access information inflates future use of the Internet to access other information" - study published in journal 'Memory'.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09658211.2016.1210171
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27424847

"How The Internet Affects Your Brain: The Connection Between Technology And Human Memory".
http://www.ibtimes.com/how-internet-affects-your-brain-connection-between-technology-human-memory-2402754

"The Internet Is Taking Over Memory As Our Brains Rely More on The Web"
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/internet-taking-over-memory_uk_57b43d8be4b0edf5a374055c

Authors get paid when people like you upvote their post.
If you enjoyed what you read here, create your account today and start earning FREE STEEM!
Sort Order:  

I'll just bookmark this for when I want to recall it later. hope I can remember where I bookmarked it ;)

Hahaha true story :-) I do it all the time too

I've noticed some of this myself in certain areas. I used to be good at reading maps since SatNav that skill seems to have evaporated.

I used to be good at spelling - since typing and spellcheck I am terrible at it. I also find it harder to remember dates without checking my calendar but other things like useless fact that I don't use a phone or computer for I can remember with ease.

"Use it or lose it" really applies to the brain. It is worrying to say the least.

Same here. It seems that my grammar and spelling memory recollection is deteriorating