This process is called “cognitive offloading,” and it seems harmless enough.įor instance, do you really need to take up brain space remembering every single step to bake chocolate chip cookies? You can look up the recipe any time, after all. With time, you rely on it to the point that you store less and less information in your brain. The result, according to a 2011 paper published in Science, is that you begin to view the internet as an extension of your memory.įurthermore, a 2016 paper published in the journal Memory showed that the more you use the internet to answer questions, the more you rely on it (instead of your own memory and critical thinking skills). You may think you remember a fact, but you’re actually remembering where to look it up. To start, constantly looking up information can diminish your ability to remember it. You save so much time! But while that’s true, this easy access to information has some unexpected downsides Today, it’s just a matter of typing a few words into your phone or asking your smart speaker. Consult the card catalog or ask the librarian for helpĪnd even after all that, you had no guarantee you’d find the answer to your question.Thumb through the book until you found what you were looking forĪnd in many cases, you’d need to take the extra step of visiting your local library, where you’d:.Pull out an encyclopedia or another reference volume.Even simple questions such as “What is the boiling point of water at sea level?” or “What year did Colorado become a state?” required effort to answer. Before the internet, looking up information was hard work.
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