If you were born before the 90s, you know how we used to save our friends’ phone numbers. We remembered their birthdays, home phone numbers, vehicle registration numbers, etc. And today, we know nothing.
We are saving everything on our smartphones. They remind us of an upcoming holiday, meeting, birthday, or event. They save the phone numbers of everyone so that we should not care if we forget one.
But how technology is warping your memory? Try to remember what’s your best friend’s phone number. Do you know it? If not, that is the answer. Thus, let’s get started and find out more!
How Technology Is Warping Your Memory
The way we leave everything to artificial intelligence is how we ruin our memory. We note every activity, shopping list, friends’ phone numbers, dates, and birthdays.
Our brains adapted to the smartphones’ memories and continue working that way. Our long-term memory storage becomes shorter, resulting in difficulties in remembering information.
Before the ’90s, people used to remember phone numbers because the phones then had only numbers to dial, not a contact list. Also, the groceries list was in our brains, and we kept repeating the things we had to buy.
Everyone remembers the birthday of each close family member. Also, the parties and celebrations were filled with laughs and joy, instead of current ones, when everyone endlessly scrolls on the feed on social media while at a “party.”
Technology is not warping only our brains. It warps up our lives completely. Instead of living as we used to, we are stuck and addicted to our smartphones, even if we don’t do it on purpose. It might be against our will, but we aren’t going anywhere without our smartphones.
If we keep overusing our smartphones, our memory will be damaged in a situation where the world’s population will reach lower intelligence levels.
Brain Changes
The memory back then was a thousand times better than the one we have today. People invented things without any source, like Google, to find out about gravity, physics, materials, etc.
People used their brains to improve their lives, remembering what they did and what to do next to improve the product they have made using only their brains. They survived, improved, and made the world a better place to live.
Also, memory and brain activities led to the invention called technology, but suddenly everything changed. Technology was invented to make life easier and better, but its long-term use has led to cognitive, social, and emotional damage.
Reduced attention
Even a study has shown that excessive screen time relates to ADHD. People who overuse technology have attention problems, regardless if they are teens or adults.
Consistent technology use has shortened the attention span from 12 to 5 minutes. The content we see online has rewired our brains, and it keeps decreasing the attention span with the years.
Adverse effects on brain development
This effect is visible in children. If you let your kid use a smartphone for one hour a day and increase it up to three hours over time, they will likely face intelligence and cognitive difficulties.
This is bad news for all parents who let their kids spend time in front of smartphone screens because it may lead to significant developmental issues.
In most cases, the main adverse effects that might happen to a kid are behavioral problems, poor language development, and educational and interaction issues.
More time in front of the screen and less time reading a book might result in decreased brain connectivity in word recognition, difficulties in understanding, disrupted language, and cognitive control.
Spending much time using technology reduces face-to-face time with a certain person. This might be a huge danger to young children because it would not let them learn about emotions and expressions since overusing technology decreases attention.
It is the same with adults. We all spend a lot of time in front of a computer or smartphone, ignoring the emotions and expressions our close people express. In the long run, unhindered use of technology leads to impaired emotional and social intelligence.
Individuals who play violent video games easily recognize happy faces since the angry face is the only emotion they see and know about.
These individuals’ brains accept the angry face as a normal emotion and expression, letting the brain say it is okay to be angry and violent. This is often seen in aggressive and hyperactive children.
Addiction
The first thing our brain says when we open our eyes is, “Check your phone”.
Up to 90% of people with social media accounts get their phones in their hands after they open their eyes. Not only that but they prefer to keep their phone by the bedside while sleeping. Checking their inbox, posts, likes, and activities and carrying the smartphones in their hands as external storage.
Some people do this on purpose and know they are addicted to technology, while others do that because their brain sends that message. It becomes a routine, and our brain saves it as something we should do every day at a specific time.
Technology addiction can lead to several health issues such as inattention, impulsivity, mood swings, non-tolerance, and hyperactivity.
Isolation
As we keep using technology, we forget about emotions. Our brain removes the things and images we used to see since they are not used for quite a long time. This is making more storage for upcoming things, removing everything we do not use anymore.
Forgetting how to express ourselves leads to mental disorders like depression, stress, and anxiety. This isolates us socially, leading to increased mental issues and even mortality.
Conclusion
Are you still wondering how technology is warping your memory and affecting your health? Stop wondering and starting acting is my piece of advice.
Find a hobby and fulfill your free time reading and expressing your qualities. Sharpen your brain and return your strong cognitive functions if you don’t want to get stuck in the technology’s cage.
