If memory serves
Research published in the journal Science has shown that access to the Internet can have a notably detrimental effect on memory. The research head author, Dr. Betsy Sparrow decided to carry out the experiment, to test the hypothesis that the Internet has become what she dubs "transactive memory."
Participants in the experiment were found to have a poor recall of information they knew they could look up on a computer - although memory of where that information could be found was shown to improve. Members of the study told they would not have access to the information later showed notably worse recall than members who were able to archive the information for later lookup.
The shift from from remembering data itself, to remembering where to find it, is an interesting one, and shows the intrusion of the Internet into everyday life. With websites such Wikipedia and search engines such as Google and Bing making it increasingly easy to find information when needed, it seems likely that the requirement - or at least perceived requirement - to recall facts will only lessen.
Dr. Sparrow points out, however, that although Internet access is changing the way people recall information, it isn't necessarily making them less intelligent: "I don't think Google is making us stupid - we're just changing the way that we're remembering things... If you can find stuff online even while you're walking down the street these days, then the skill to have, the thing to remember, is where to go to find the information."
