The Internet Is Stealing Your Memory – Here’s How to Stop It!

Have you heard of the term 'cognitive revolution'? Scientists say humans have the highest level of cognitive power, which distinguishes us from other living organisms. The cognitive revolution, which occurred thousands of years ago, has given us the ability to think, memorize, and create and believe amazing stories. This leads us 'Homo Sepience' to acquire the top position in the food chain. It is we humans who rule the world because we have higher levels of cognition than other animals.

But what will happen if humans lose their cognitive power? The ability to think and remember. The simple answer is, that they will stop learning. And if humans stop learning, what would be the next? I am leaving this up to you to ponder.

Before the digital revolution of the 21st century, amnesia was only found among old-aged individuals. But Currently, there is an evolving hum about the term 'digital amnesia', which is being noticed among youngsters.
There was a time when people used to memorize phone numbers, addresses, or even their regular schedules without having a 'digital to-do list'. But today, due to technological advancement smartphones serve as external memory storage, keeping track of our contacts, schedules, and to-do lists. Now while traveling, you don't need to pay extra attention to routes because GPS applications guide our destinations. Technology provides us with conveniences by saving us extra time and effort but at the same time, it also reduces the necessity for our brains to retain information.

This new phenomenon of outsourcing the ability of our memory and delegating cognitive tasks to devices has intense implications. Studies indicate that when individuals know they can easily retrieve information, they are less likely to put pressure on their own memory. And the ongoing shifts of our brain's focus from 'memorizing' to 'simply knowing' where to find the needed information. Over time, this habit weakens our brain's capacity to store and remember data independently.
Before the dawn of digital tools, individual memory played a pivotal role in regular life. Individuals used to memorize long poetry, historical events, and even speeches and they solely used to rely on their cognitive power. In contrast, when modern technology has made these things unnecessary, it is tempting to view that ongoing shift as progress. This raises a question: Are we trading cognitive resilience for convenience?
In today's fast-paced world, multitasking is a hallmark of the digital age, which forces the mind to divide its attention around multiple tasks. Practicing this phenomenon for a long time can weaken the formation of long-term memories, as the brain struggles to grapple with tons of information so swiftly.

Recent research suggests that constant interaction with digital technology can affect our cognitive abilities, including our ability to remember. Moreover, the perpetual buzz and fast stream of messages, notifications, and social media updates have created an information-overloaded environment. The human brain, capable of focusing on a limited quantity of data at a time, puts itself in extremely challenging situations through this bombardment of information. This ultimately results in "Digital Amnesia," the increasing tendency of individuals to forget information that is easily accessible through technological devices.

This digital amnesia is not just a matter of mere forgetfulness, it contains profound implications. It wreaks the ability to remember which affects learning and problem-solving. The fundamental for human growth. We humans are creative creatures, retaining information and then processing and synthesizing it, is crucial for creativity. Overuse of technology often undermines these human qualities.
There is no doubt that technology has revolutionized how we live. It offers most of us a convenient lifestyle that prior generations could only imagine. But it's important to recognize when one should stop. By becoming a species overly dependent on our digital devices, there is a risk that we might lose touch with humanity's most fundamental cognitive ability: memory.

Practicing focus-related exercise and meditation can help confront distractions resulting from information overload. I find reading books for a long time really helps me to develop my focus power. It is important to set boundaries between us and our devices.
No matter what it is helping us with to make our life more convenient, we have to remember it is not part of our biological entity, which gets tired and needs rest.
Digital detoxification is equally important when people unplug from their digital gadgets for a set of time. It has also been shown to improve focus power and mental clarity as we are amidst of this digital era, where the challenge lies in finding a balance between prioritizing biology and technology.