Memory loss is a common concern in later life, but increasing numbers of adults in their 30s, 40s, and 50s are also reporting significant problems with forgetfulness.
It turns out that our nearly constant use of technology—and the way we interact with it—may be responsible for growing memory concerns in people of all ages.
New research is showing that spending time on our smartphones and computers changes the way our brains work and frequently hinders our ability to remember new information. Two main reasons for this are reviewed here.
In the tech age, distraction is everywhere. Attention is the key to forming new memories. When we are distracted, we are not laying the foundation for new memories. This is also the case when we are multi-tasking because our attention is divided. Numerous studies demonstrate the negative effects of multitasking.
Technology not only makes it easier to multitask (thereby leading to more distraction), but additionally, even when we are doing only one task online, distraction is everywhere.
Nicholas Carr, the author of “The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to our Brains,” defines the Internet as “an interruption system.” When we view information online, there are a million possible distractions.
For example, when reading written information on the Internet, there are usually hyperlinks throughout the text—and even if we are not clicking on them, our brain is distracted by them in that it has to go through a decision process each time it sees one to determine whether or not to click.
One study showed that comprehension declines as the number of links increases, regardless of whether or not the links are clicked. Additionally, advertisements often flash on the side of the screen, and many marketing companies’ success is measured by how much they can distract you from what you are doing and get you to their client’s website. Constant online access leads to information overload.
Another issue that leads to poor retention of information is cognitive overload. The brain’s process of learning and retaining information starts with a key function called working memory. Working memory is the brain’s ability to hold new information “online” and do something with it.
For example, when you are carrying out a mental arithmetic problem, you are holding the various figures in your mind while carrying out mathematical operations. Working memory can hold only a relatively small amount of information at a time. When the amount of information flowing into our working memory exceeds our mind’s capacity to process and store it, not only are we unable to retain the information, but we also do not have a chance to draw connections with other memories or translate the new material into conceptual knowledge.
We have a ton of information at our fingertips, and even bombarding us to some extent, when we are on the Internet. There are benefits to this; however, we must also realize the risk of cognitive overload, wherein a bottleneck of sorts is formed such that new information cannot “stick” and be integrated into our knowledge base.
TIPS FOR ENHANCING MEMORY IN THE TECH AGE
- Become more conscious of how much time you are spending online. Determine if that time is productive versus distracting. Setting a limit your Internet “surfing” time can be helpful.
- Take time to reflect. Once you have watched or read something of interest, take a minute away from the screen to reflect on it. This gives your working memory time to catch up and process the information into long-term memory, while also weaving the facts and information into more complex ideas that give richness to our thought.
- Avoid multi-tasking. Do not attempt to complete two tasks at once. Any time you do this, you are dividing your attention, and therefore reducing your ability to retain information. Avoid using your smartphone while you are involved in other activities, such as using social media while watching television, or checking email while in a meeting.