Strategically Communicating

With the internet essentially at my fingertips 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, I’ve noticed I use my memory much differently than I did before. After reading Clive Thompson’s quote in chapter 9, I’ve realized that I too have given up most of my efforts to remember details and seemingly trivial information. I no longer remember anyone’s phone numbers, addresses or birthday’s, except for a handful of close family members and friends. I let my phone, email accounts or social media do that work for me. I definitely feel like I’m remembering less and less and the years go on, however, I don’t feel like I’m less intelligent than I once was. I now remember the best methods for finding data or researching topics, and the most reliable sources for information. In fact, since I have virtually limitless access to information I feel like I can jump in the stream of facts and understanding whenever and however I choose.

As humankind acquires more and more knowledge, it doesn’t seem like memory as we know it now will even be possible to maintain. I read an interesting study about this topic where the author termed this phenomenon as “digital amnesia.” The author also suggests that our technology actually encourages our brains to forget. Here’s the full article:  https://usblog.kaspersky.com/digital-amnesia-survival/5548/