Mobile Phones And Computers Making People Think Less

[Pete Paxton]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7007940574' target='_blank'>http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7007940574</a><br /><br /></div><i>"London, England (AHN) - A Japanese study has found that people are now becoming dependent on computers and mobile phones, resulting in our brains being understimulated, which can cause severe memory problems. The study, carried out by a team of researchers at a Japanese university, says that in today's world, people's reliance on electronic devices for even the simplest tasks is dulling our minds. A recently released report says that in the United Kingdom, one fourth of the population doesn't know their phone numbers at home and about one third only knows and memorizes important anniversaries and birthdates. According to the study, thanks to the increasing use of computers to store information, adults in their 50s and 60s have better memory capacity rather than people in their 30s and below, who have grown up with computers and other devices."</i><br /><br />I'd love your opinion on this one. I'm on the computer often and I don't feel I've had a loss of um, what's it called again? Oh yea, memory. What do you all think? Are computers, cell phones and other electronics dulling our memory and other senses? Is it true that 50 and 60 year olds have a better memory than people in their 30's? Do we rely on technology more than we should? I guess I'm a little on the fence on this one. I can see where our reliance on computers has given us less reason to use our memory. Rather than memorizing phone numbers, appointments, movie show times, and tasks, I rely on my phone to give me the information or remind me. Is that such a bad thing? Is my um, what's it called again? Oh yea, memory less effective because I don't use it more often? Let me hear from you. Ooops, gotta go, my Dash just reminded me it's garbage night! :lol:

[Mike Temporale]

... I was going to make a comment on this, but I can't recall what I wanted to say. :?

As a young kid I was able to remember the phone numbers of all my friends. I recall having tests with a buddy on the walk to school to see who could stump who.

Now, I can't remember my own number. My phone has all the appointments, reminders, phone numbers, etc... that I need to remember and it never forgets. (Well, almost never. ;) )

[ctmagnus]

When I was a kid, I could remember the phone numbers of all my friends, too. But then seven-digit dialing came along. ;)

Seriously, it seems like my memory was worse before I started using PDAs/Smartphones. The fact that I can have all the relevant information I need with me as close to 24/7 as I'm comfortable with means I can look anything up with a glance. For someone like me that relies on repetition to remember anything, these things can only help.

[Rocco Augusto]

When I was a kid, there was a lot less to remember. I have so much going on now and even if I did not have a Smartphone, I would still carry an appointment book or something of that nature around with me to help keep track of it.

[Mike Temporale]

But then seven-digit dialing came along. ;)

Seven digit?! Wow, that's a long time ago. I remember when we went from 7 to 10. ;)

[PantherShade]

I'm not sure of the details regarding the study, but my own personal experience leads me to believe that I am memorizing less, not remembering less. :o

Now that I can enter in so much information in a portable manner, I do not make the effort to memorize everything. Through sheer lack of repetition (I hit contacts, not dial), I don't remember the number of that hottie I met. However, I only used the number one time... to enter the information into my mobile. :oops:

Now, I DO remember the many (MANY!) passwords I have to various sites. In fact, I think that I have more usenames and passwords now that I did friends when I was a kid. 8O

Would that mean I remember more? :twisted:

[dstrauss]

But then seven-digit dialing came along. ;)

Seven digit?! Wow, that's a long time ago. I remember when we went from 7 to 10. ;)

You wusses...there are some of us that had to remember to clear folks off the party line before we asked the operator to ring Marge's house... :D

[phut60]

I think of equal deterioration is our ability to plan ahead. I often see and hear people making phone calls to give or receive information that could have been garnered before. Rather than clarify information during a live conversation we forget to ask for details knowing that we can make a mobile call when the information is needed. Our skills at planning will weaken considerably over time.

And for fun, I remember phones with no rotary dial and telling the operator who came on the line the 3 digit number I needed to call... I thought that new phone with the dial where I could spin those 3 numbers myself was 'fast forward'

[qyv42]

Ooops, gotta go, my Dash just reminded me it's garbage night!

Um...I do have an appointment for garbage night, otherwise I'd never remember! :oops:

I guess I've just proved their point!

[Pete Paxton]

I wasn't kidding, while I was writing this post, my Dash alarmed me that it was blue (recycling) garbage night.

[atlp99]

Einstein once said that he never memorized anything that he did not have to.

I think that the types of things we have to memorize now is different. We no longer have to remember phone numbers and dates because of the help of technology (our smartphones) but we have to remember other things.

I work for a cell company and most people do not know their own numbers or their commonly used numbers, this is not just younger people.
I dont have my wife's number memorized but i can tell you the logins and passwords for all 3 companies i deal with because i use those numbers daily, while my wife is on smart dial (i love smart dial)

My parents can barely work their computer and my dad could not put their surround sound/dvd/hi def tv back together after taking it appart to install new floors. I go over evertime there is a problem. It only took me 10 min to setup the tv/dvd/surround sound.

I dont think that we remember less overall, but we are forced to remember different types of information than in the past.

I think a lot of us have very busy lives also, I am a full time student, studdying for the LSAT, and work full time so i use all the help i can get to stay organized and make the best use of my time possible.

[Richard76]

I dont think that we remember less overall, but we are forced to remember different types of information than in the past.
I agree with this as well as the fact that we are also changing the way we store and access the information. Think of the memory part of your brain like a huge library. In the past, we would store all of the frequently used information like phone numbers close to the front door so we could access it quickly.

Now, we are "thinking" more like computers. Information is grouped together in sections. The library shelves are filing cabinets and the books are the individual files. There is a more logical "sorting" to the filed information. It's just that now, it may be filed down in the back corner of the room instead of near the front door. Therefore, it just takes us a little longer to find it.

[Rocco Augusto]

if only there was a way to sync our phones with our hippocampus, then we would remember everything ;)