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To what extent is technology having a negative effect on cognitive…
To what extent is technology having a negative effect on cognitive processes?
Memory
Technology doesn't require the use of our working memory, it might be harmful to out cognitive process if used for long periods of time
Relying on technology may affect our ability to store information, as we can store it online
Memory and Technology
Google and Memory (Sparrow et al. 2001)
Aim: "See if knowing that we would have access to saved information later (like we do with the internet) would affect semantic memory (memory of facts and information)"
They asked the participants a series of random facts
One group were told that the facts they saw would be saved and they could access later
The other group were told it wouldn't be saved
RESULT: The participants did a test, and the group that thought they had access to information scored worse.
"This simple study shows that when we do not need to rely on our own memories to store information because we know the information will be stored elsewhere then this will reduce our memory of that information."
Attention
Technology is making the brains develop differently than the ones from the previous generations
The environment has to do with the development of attention
The lack of attention and fast change of topic, makes the brain lowers its capability to understand
Technology can be very distractive when trying to focus and when attention is required, also meaning that we can be less productive when doing work with the use of technology
Taking notes
Many students believe that taking notes on their computers is more helpful to their learning and also considering that they can write faster
College students who take notes on paper, tend to learn more and understand the content better than the ones who do it on a computer
Attention and Technology
Writing helps the brain to process the information better
Brain and Google
Nowadays our brains are not practicing old ways of learning or thinking. Ex: Textbooks, asking other people, critical thinking
Due to development of technology, now we just need to Google it And that what we are "practicing".
"My mind isn’t going—so far as I can tell—but it’s changing. I’m not thinking the way I used to think. I can feel it most strongly when I’m reading. Immersing myself in a book or a lengthy article used to be easy." Nicholas Carr "Is Google stupid?"
As we saw through the studies, technology impacts on focus and attention. We can see this example on Nicholas Carr's quote.
Technology makes us think differently, feel differently, and sometimes even dream differently.