Let’s embark on a thought experiment. Imagine using a notes app on your phone for the next decade to jot down everything: your thoughts, to-do lists, calendar events, and contacts. Would this reliance on technology impair your memory? This question has intrigued me for some time, as it was the focus of the first video I uploaded to this channel seven years ago. Recently, I revisited this topic and had the video fact-checked. I haven’t watched it since its release, knowing its production quality was quite basic. Most of you likely haven’t seen it either. So, let’s delve into this topic.
In 2009, a flight from New Jersey to Buffalo, New York, encountered a severe storm while cruising on autopilot at 16,000 feet. The plane’s controls began to shudder, indicating a potential stall. The pilot’s instinctive reaction was to pull back on the controls, which unfortunately led to a stall and a tragic crash, resulting in the loss of all lives on board.
This incident prompts us to ask: How could the pilot forget his basic emergency training? Is technology diminishing our memory capabilities? Recent insights into aviation training suggest that the pilot might not have received adequate emergency training. In today’s digital age, with abundant aviation channels and the omnipresence of Google, are we becoming more reliant on technology and less on our cognitive abilities? Is this affecting our intelligence?
There are two primary types of memory: non-declarative memory, which includes skills, emotions, and movements (like riding a bike), and declarative memory, which involves facts and information (like remembering your phone number or the capital of Australia). Memory can also be categorized into episodic versus semantic and working memory versus long-term memory.
When we use technology to access information, we might be extending our declarative memories, but does this come at the cost of what we retain in our brains? The hippocampus plays a crucial role in declarative memory, helping us store and recall facts and events. However, many people may not be familiar with technical terms like “parahippocampal gyrus,” so I prefer using more general language.
What happens when information is readily available, and we no longer need to memorize facts? The process of forming, retaining, and recalling memories remains unchanged, but our focus shifts to remembering where to find information, a phenomenon known as the “Google effect.” In one study, participants who knew they could look up answers later did not make an effort to remember general trivia. This reliance on external memory systems is not new; even Einstein admitted to not memorizing certain information because it was easily accessible in books.
By using technology, we are adapting our memory systems to remember the location of information rather than the details themselves. This trend is likely to continue as our relationship with devices evolves, but it isn’t necessarily detrimental. fMRI scans reveal that for internet-savvy individuals, certain brain areas are more active when searching for information online compared to reading a book. The hippocampus remains active, but we are choosing the most efficient way to find information, often online.
We are collectively sharing the task of remembering, which can enhance our cognitive abilities. However, it’s important to note that increased brain activity doesn’t necessarily equate to increased intelligence. The relationship between brain activity and intelligence is complex and not fully understood. While using the internet can improve our ability to find information, it may not directly enhance our intelligence.
On a more personal note, when I began this journey seven years ago, I was using an old camera and natural light. Now, I have a vibrant community, numerous documentaries on my channel, and even a YouTube original. I’m grateful for the opportunities that YouTube has provided.
Thank you for watching, subscribing, and a special thanks to my patrons on Patreon who have supported this channel over the years. If you’d like to join the community, I’ll leave a link to the BrainCraft Patreon in the description. If you can’t join, please share this video or another one that might resonate with someone, and give it a like to help with visibility. Thanks again!
Engage in a structured debate with your classmates on the topic: “Is reliance on technology impairing our memory?” Use evidence from the article and additional research to support your arguments. This will help you critically analyze the impact of technology on cognitive abilities.
Analyze the 2009 aviation incident mentioned in the article. Discuss in groups how memory and training might have played a role in the pilot’s response. Consider the implications of technology on emergency training and decision-making in high-pressure situations.
Create a presentation that explains the different types of memory: non-declarative, declarative, episodic, semantic, working, and long-term memory. Use examples to illustrate each type and discuss how technology might influence these memory processes.
Conduct an experiment to observe the “Google effect.” Have participants memorize a list of trivia facts, with one group knowing they can look up the answers later and another group without that option. Analyze the results to understand how the availability of information affects memory retention.
Write a reflective essay on your personal use of technology and its impact on your memory and learning habits. Consider how often you rely on digital devices for information and how this might affect your cognitive processes and intelligence.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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I have a thought experiment for you. Imagine you use a notes app on your phone over the next 10 years to record everything you think of: your thoughts, your to-do list, your calendar, your contacts. Will that ruin your memory? This is a question I’ve had for a while, as it was actually the topic of the first video I made and uploaded to this channel seven years ago. I’ve been thinking about how this video compares to the kinds of things I create now, so I had it fact-checked. I haven’t watched it in seven years because I know the production value is quite basic, and I’m sure most of you have never seen it. So, let’s dive in.
In 2009, a plane was flying from New Jersey to Buffalo, New York. As it cruised on autopilot at 16,000 feet, it encountered a massive storm front approaching the airport. The plane’s controls began to shudder loudly, a sign that it was losing lift and might stall. The pilot took action by pulling back on the controls, which was actually the wrong thing to do. Instead of preventing a stall, he caused one. The plane spun out of control and crashed into a house, resulting in the loss of all lives on board.
This situation raises the question: how could the pilot forget his basic emergency training? Is technology ruining our memory? Recent insights into aircraft training suggest that perhaps the pilot never received adequate emergency training in the first place. We now have many aviation channels, and we live in the age of Google. When we search for information online, are we relying less on our brains and more on our fingertips? Is this making us less intelligent?
There are two types of memory to consider: non-declarative memory, which involves skills, emotions, and movements (like riding a bike), and declarative memory, which involves facts and information (like your phone number or the capital of Australia). It’s important to note that there are various ways to characterize memory, such as episodic versus semantic and working memory versus long-term memory.
When we use technology to look up information, we may be extending our declarative memories, but is that at the expense of what we retain in our brains? The hippocampus plays a major role in declarative memory, helping us retain and recall facts and events. However, many people may not relate to technical terms like “parahippocampal gyrus,” so I tend to use more general language.
What happens when we have information readily available and no longer need to remember facts? The process of forming, retaining, and recalling memories remains the same, but what changes is what we choose to remember. Instead of remembering facts, we may remember where to find them, a phenomenon known as the “Google effect.” In one study, participants who knew they could look up answers later did not make the effort to remember general trivia. This reliance on external memory systems is not new; even Einstein acknowledged that he didn’t retain certain information because it was readily available in books.
Using technology means we’re adjusting our memory systems to remember where to find information rather than the facts themselves. This trend is likely to continue as our relationship with devices evolves, but it isn’t necessarily a negative development. fMRI scans show that for internet-savvy individuals, certain areas of the brain are more active when searching for information online compared to reading a book. The hippocampus is still functioning, but we are choosing the most efficient way to find information, which is often online.
We are collectively sharing the work of remembering, which can make us smarter. However, it’s important to note that increased brain activity doesn’t necessarily equate to increased intelligence. The relationship between brain activity and intelligence is complex and not fully understood. While using the internet can enhance our ability to find information, it may not directly improve our intelligence.
On a more serious note, when I started this journey seven years ago, I was using an old camera and natural light. Now, I have a whole community, numerous documentaries on my channel, and even a YouTube original. I’m grateful for the opportunities that YouTube has provided.
Thank you for watching, subscribing, and a special thanks to my patrons on Patreon who have supported this channel over the years. If you’d like to join the community, I’ll leave a link to the BrainCraft Patreon in the description. If you can’t join, please share this video or another one that might resonate with someone, and give it a like to help with visibility. Thanks again!
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This version removes informal language and maintains a more neutral tone while preserving the original message.
Memory – The mental faculty of retaining and recalling past experiences or information. – In psychology, researchers study how memory can be affected by various factors such as stress and sleep.
Technology – The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry. – The integration of technology in psychological research has allowed for more precise data collection and analysis.
Cognitive – Relating to the mental processes of perception, memory, judgment, and reasoning. – Cognitive psychology focuses on understanding how people process information and how this affects their behavior.
Intelligence – The ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills. – Intelligence tests are often used in psychology to assess an individual’s cognitive abilities and potential.
Declarative – Relating to the aspect of memory that stores facts and information that can be consciously recalled. – Declarative memory allows us to remember facts and events, such as the date of a historical event or a friend’s birthday.
Hippocampus – A region of the brain that is associated with memory formation and spatial navigation. – Damage to the hippocampus can result in difficulties forming new memories, a condition often studied in neuropsychology.
Google – To search for information about something on the internet using the Google search engine. – Students often google psychological theories to find the latest research and discussions on the topic.
Collective – Relating to a group or shared by all members of a group. – Collective intelligence refers to the shared or group intelligence that emerges from collaboration and consensus in decision-making.
Information – Data that is processed and organized to provide meaning. – In cognitive psychology, the way information is encoded and retrieved can significantly impact memory performance.
Reliance – The state of depending on or trusting in something or someone. – The reliance on technology in modern psychological research has increased the accuracy and efficiency of data collection.
