You just left the cinema and start discussing the film with your friends. What was the name of the main actor? You take out your phone and google it: oh, it was this one! How could you have forgotten?
When you get home and charge your phone, an unexpected problem occurs and it turns off forever. When you buy a new smartphone, You spend a whole week recovering the contact numbers you hadsince your virtual address book had been erased and you barely remember your number and those of a couple of other friends.
Have you ever stopped to think about how, for a few years now, You have trouble remembering data, numbers, birthdays…. that you used to memorize without any problems?
The arrival of Google and technology in general has brought many advantagesYou are more connected with your loved ones, it is easy for you to find information, online courses, advice of all kinds…
But there is also a dark side. It is called Google effecta new phenomenon that scholars and experts have been investigating for some time now. What is it about? He explains it through Psychology TodayEva M. Krockow, a scholar of the valuable mental art of decision making.
What is the Google effect?
The Google effect is, according to Eva M. Krockow, “a phenomenon in which people’s memory performs worse with easily accessible information than with difficult-to-obtain information.”
This effect is called Google because this search engine has managed to make you find data in a fast and immediate way. As a result, unconsciously or consciously vIt is useless to try hard to remember data that perhaps a few years ago you would have mentally retained.
Various studies have already investigated the Google effect empirically. In one of these experiments, participants had to read and write 40 interesting facts such as “Did you know that…?” such as “an ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain.”
Half of the participants were told that This data would be stored on the computer. The other half were told that these “did you know?”s would be deleted forever.
After finishing writing down the 40 pieces of information, the participants took a memory test that reviewed everything they had learned during the test. Those who believed that the information had been erased from the PC, and therefore believed themselves to be the sole custodians of it, they swept the memory test.
However, those who knew that the data was still on the computer scored worse. They did not feel the need to remember the curiosities because they knew that at any time they could turn to the PC to look for them.
Therefore, “The Google effect is an adaptive mechanism that prevents your brain from storing unnecessary information,” “After all, why would you want to remember complicated data, numbers or anniversary dates when you can rely on your phone or computer?” explains the decision-making expert.
If you don’t think it affects you, Review to see if you remember some of these simple pieces of information google or search on your mobile:
- Information available in online encyclopedias such as Wikipedia
- News headlines that collect mobile apps
- Phone number of contacts you have on your mobile
- Dates and anniversaries saved in your online calendars
- Vocabulary available in online dictionaries
Depending on your age, you probably remembered all the phone numbers of your friends and family before the Internet boom. Do you remember all of them right now? Would you be able to write them down without snooping on your phone?
Although the Google effect has advantages (you can remember other data), experts have a concern about this. I’m sure you can anticipate where this is going.
Does the Google effect have negative consequences?
Krockow says that further research is still needed. Some researchers believe that the Google effect helps companies become more efficient in an environment dominated by new technologies, while others point to potential risks.
The first risk is that of the dependenceIf a technological memory has been created outside of yours, you inevitably feel the need to be connected to it as much as possible. “This feeling can cause stress and anxiety,” explains the expert.
In some cases, a potential technological collapse could be terrifying for the people most dependent on technology. “Many will lose years of information and irrecoverable knowledge if any technical error occurs.”
The second risk is an absence of critical thinking. “People can learn to believe the first information they find online.” Krockow also fears that the ability to read between the lines or connect seemingly disparate data to draw new conclusions may be lost.
There is a third risk that is still being studied: the loss of visual informationAnother experiment invited its participants to take a tour of a museum. Half of them were allowed to take photos of the paintings with their mobile phones. The others were not allowed to do so.
The result? Those who had taken photos scored poorly on the final memory test, which involved reviewing works seen in the museum. Those who did not rely on technology scored better.
Tips to mitigate the Google effect
If you’re worried about relying too much on Google or your phone, or losing the ability to think critically about the information you receive, The good news is that there are strategies to regain control of your memory.
The expert in the art of decision making gives you these 3 simple strategies that will improve your memory in modern times.
- Make a conscious effort to seek out information: “pay full attention to the information you are processing rather than reading while doing other things at the same time.” Avoid multitasking.
- Take notes by hand: Instead of printing out the Wikipedia page with all the data, jot down by hand what you’re really interested in. “The process of synthesizing and writing down information forces the mind to slow down and pay attention, which will help in your processing and recall of data.”
- Leave your devices at home: or find ways to use your cell phones, cameras, computers less… If you distance yourself from technology, you will force yourself to resort to your mind and learning capacity.
Remember that extremes are bad. Don’t cut off all communication with Google or turn off your phone forever. Nowadays, distancing yourself too much from technology also has negative effects.
For example, in the long run you will feel great loneliness or disconnection: and the fact is that human beings are very social animals, and today people use technology to meet each other, meet up, catch up, plan…
Learn how we work at .
Tags: Trending, Health, Google