Computers and Our Memory

According to the New York Times, a recent study suggests that the internet and technology have significant effects on human memory. Scientists, led by Betsy Sparrow of Columbia University, conducted experiments testing the effect of technology on human memory. One test had participants type 40 pieces of trivia into a computer. They led half of the participants to believe that the trivia would be saved and the other half to believe that the trivia would be deleted. They found that the participants were a lot more likely to remember the trivia if they thought it would be deleted. Another test examined how computers affect what exactly we remember. The subjects were asked to remember specific facts and which of five folders on the computer they were saved in. The researchers found that the test subjects remembered the folder instead of the fact.

The experiment dives into what is called transactive memory. This theory suggests that people rely on other people and reference materials to store information instead of trying to remember this information themselves. Dr. Sparrow concluded that the Internet has become the number one source for external storage of information.

This article was interesting because technology and the age of the internet has taken over the world. There is no shortage of how and when we can retrieve information. This article raises some significant points. Are we becoming too dependent on technology to store information? Can this, in the long term, affect humans negatively? For all the advantages of the internet and computers, there are still some questions that linger.

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