“If men learn this (writing), it will implant forgetfulness in their souls; they will cease to exercise memory because they rely on that which is written, calling things to remembrance no longer...
“If men learn this (writing), it will implant forgetfulness in their souls; they will cease to exercise memory because they rely on that which is written, calling things to remembrance no longer from within themselves, but by means of external marks.
-Plato
This has been a complaint as long as we have had technology. Is there anything different this time?
Well yes, the smartphone is significantly more adept at outsourcing mental load than a pen and paper. But no, there's no fundamental difference apart from magnitude. However, I think it's actually...
Well yes, the smartphone is significantly more adept at outsourcing mental load than a pen and paper.
But no, there's no fundamental difference apart from magnitude.
However, I think it's actually defensible to say that Plato was correct about writing, and the worriers of today are correct about smartphones. It can be looked at as a crutch, but that's only half the story.
When we wear clothes and shoes, we lose some of our tolerance for the elements. People don't really dispute this, but they also don't interpret it as a condemnation of clothes and shoes.
It's a tradeoff in all these cases. We trade some useful natural habit, inclination, or aptitude for a technological augmentation of our intellectual ability or survival ability.
And it's not much deeper than that. When someone complains that it's bad, they're not wrong. They're just failing to mention that it's also good. They're seeing only the price paid and not the benefit bought.
This article explores the possibility that smartphone reliance is adversely affecting our memories and ability to recall. While some neuroscientists argue that using our smartphones to help us...
This article explores the possibility that smartphone reliance is adversely affecting our memories and ability to recall. While some neuroscientists argue that using our smartphones to help us with cognitive processes frees up our minds to focus on other tasks and ideas, others say that the convenience comes with a price that includes reduced memory function. It is mentioned that people who have been using GPS for a long time have observable impairments in spatial memory abilities, and furthermore the general use of smartphones can impact one's memory as they can "drag us away from the present moment." The article goes on to note some experiments where differences in children's brains were observed when comparing those who used devices often to those who didn't.
On a personal note, I have anecdotally observed that whenever I use GPS to get to a destination in the car, I can almost never remember how I got there, or even where it was in general. Therefore, I now almost always use plain maps to help me navigate and this has (in my experience) greatly helped me to build an internal map of all the streets, neighbourhoods and landmarks in my region.
I'd like to chime in to say that for me GPS is fully, 100% a blessing! I grew up pre-GPS and I've always had a lot of trouble with remembering routes and navigating. I once did some tests in...
I'd like to chime in to say that for me GPS is fully, 100% a blessing!
I grew up pre-GPS and I've always had a lot of trouble with remembering routes and navigating. I once did some tests in university for some psych grad students, and when the results came back, I remember the very gracious phrasing of my spatial memory being in the "top 95%" of those who were tested. It caused me no end of anxiety, and people would sometimes get angry with me - I almost got the sense that they couldn't believe I wasn't doing it on purpose.
Recently I travelled to another city solo, which is something I never would have done without GPS. It really opened up the world a lot for me.
I can 100% attest to this. It's waaaayy harder to keep track of my physical positioning when driving since leaning hard on GPS. I used to be able to memorize directions to a place (and start...
It is mentioned that people who have been using GPS for a long time have observable impairments in spatial memory abilities.
I can 100% attest to this. It's waaaayy harder to keep track of my physical positioning when driving since leaning hard on GPS.
I used to be able to memorize directions to a place (and start finding shortcuts) after 2 visits. Now I pretty much have to pull out the GPS if my destination is more than 5 miles away if I've not been there > 5 times....doubly so if I need a detour.
I do the same thing and I have noticed that I'm able to learn routes and areas much faster than my friends and family that rely on GPS. At times it has been a point of contention because I am not...
On a personal note, I have anecdotally observed that whenever I use GPS to get to a destination in the car, I can almost never remember how I got there, or even where it was in general. Therefore, I now almost always use plain maps to help me navigate and this has (in my experience) greatly helped me to build an internal map of all the streets, neighbourhoods and landmarks in my region.
I do the same thing and I have noticed that I'm able to learn routes and areas much faster than my friends and family that rely on GPS. At times it has been a point of contention because I am not bothered by getting slightly turned around for a minute whereas others who tend to rely heavily on GPS find it annoying. Conversely, I get annoyed when I'm riding with someone that doesn't know their area very well, or can't make adjustments to the route because they have to follow the GPS every step of the way.
Yknow I'm normally the kind of person who is very critical of phones and the impact they have on us, but this isn't an effect that I'm concerned about at all really. Communication and writing do...
Yknow I'm normally the kind of person who is very critical of phones and the impact they have on us, but this isn't an effect that I'm concerned about at all really. Communication and writing do the same thing. Efficient storage of information by definition makes it so we don't have to remember shit anymore and can focus on doing things with that information instead.
I think this is an absolutely a real effect, but I don't think it's particularly unexpected, or bad. It's like how the advent of cars has made the average human's cardio and leg muscle strength...
I think this is an absolutely a real effect, but I don't think it's particularly unexpected, or bad. It's like how the advent of cars has made the average human's cardio and leg muscle strength worse. Or how the washing machine has made average human arm muscles weaker. And so forth and so on.
The mind works similarly to a muscle - some mental skills must be done, and done repeatedly. When we offload tasks that would be handled by the brain to an accessible computer, we do less of those ourselves. However, you'd hardly say that people should ditch all inventions that help us complete physical tasks for better muscle growth. We instead learned other, more efficient ways to specifically help with these - that's what the gym is for. And in return you get efficiency - I'd take doing some bench presses or lat pushdowns at the gym over doing my laundry by hand any day!
Now, perhaps part of the problem is that the development of mental exercises is in very early stages, still, especially after you exit schooling. Yes, you can do sudoku puzzles, and it's been ages, but there's Brain Age and similar games. That's all very basic - it'd be like if the only way we knew to exercise was to play soccer. Soccer's an intense game, but for specific goals there's specific exercises with specific equipment that will be way more efficient. And no matter how much soccer you'll play, you're not going to gain nearly as much upper body muscle as someone doing bench presses.
Everyone who says "I use GPS" ... what does that mean, exactly? Do you mean the apps that walk you through the route step-by-step, say "turn left here, go 0.4mi, get in right lane" etc? I use GPS,...
Everyone who says "I use GPS" ... what does that mean, exactly? Do you mean the apps that walk you through the route step-by-step, say "turn left here, go 0.4mi, get in right lane" etc?
I use GPS, in that, I enter "I'm 'here' and I want to go 'there' ... show me the best route from here to there, full route, on a digital map." Then I memorize the route, put the phone away, and I go. Usually, I need to pull it out 2-3 times to double-check my route, but mostly, I'm going from memory of what the app showed me.
Just personal anecdote, of course, but I believe that using GPS like this does not hurt—and might even help improve—your spatial memory. Even better would be, trying to figure out the route yourself first, in your head, and then ask the app the best route.
This is me. I run a business that involves my driving for about half the time I'm on the clock, and while 80+% of that driving is to and from locations I'm familiar with routing, I still have to...
Even better would be, trying to figure out the route yourself first, in your head, and then ask the app the best route.
This is me. I run a business that involves my driving for about half the time I'm on the clock, and while 80+% of that driving is to and from locations I'm familiar with routing, I still have to be able to react to emergent traffic patterns and get to the next appointment on time. I will pull out a GPS map in a pinch for optimization and first-times, but I always consciously come up with a hypothetical route to compare it to. My navigation skills have only improved.
On the other hand, I am rather neurodivergent regarding spatial reasoning and orientation, e.g. I almost always have a mental compass "at hand", I make a game out of optimizing my footpath in busy areas, etc. This might just be my weird map-loving brain. I struggle to think the exercise wouldn't be beneficial for most people though.
“If men learn this (writing), it will implant forgetfulness in their souls; they will cease to exercise memory because they rely on that which is written, calling things to remembrance no longer from within themselves, but by means of external marks.
-Plato
This has been a complaint as long as we have had technology. Is there anything different this time?
Well yes, the smartphone is significantly more adept at outsourcing mental load than a pen and paper.
But no, there's no fundamental difference apart from magnitude.
However, I think it's actually defensible to say that Plato was correct about writing, and the worriers of today are correct about smartphones. It can be looked at as a crutch, but that's only half the story.
When we wear clothes and shoes, we lose some of our tolerance for the elements. People don't really dispute this, but they also don't interpret it as a condemnation of clothes and shoes.
It's a tradeoff in all these cases. We trade some useful natural habit, inclination, or aptitude for a technological augmentation of our intellectual ability or survival ability.
And it's not much deeper than that. When someone complains that it's bad, they're not wrong. They're just failing to mention that it's also good. They're seeing only the price paid and not the benefit bought.
This article explores the possibility that smartphone reliance is adversely affecting our memories and ability to recall. While some neuroscientists argue that using our smartphones to help us with cognitive processes frees up our minds to focus on other tasks and ideas, others say that the convenience comes with a price that includes reduced memory function. It is mentioned that people who have been using GPS for a long time have observable impairments in spatial memory abilities, and furthermore the general use of smartphones can impact one's memory as they can "drag us away from the present moment." The article goes on to note some experiments where differences in children's brains were observed when comparing those who used devices often to those who didn't.
On a personal note, I have anecdotally observed that whenever I use GPS to get to a destination in the car, I can almost never remember how I got there, or even where it was in general. Therefore, I now almost always use plain maps to help me navigate and this has (in my experience) greatly helped me to build an internal map of all the streets, neighbourhoods and landmarks in my region.
I'd like to chime in to say that for me GPS is fully, 100% a blessing!
I grew up pre-GPS and I've always had a lot of trouble with remembering routes and navigating. I once did some tests in university for some psych grad students, and when the results came back, I remember the very gracious phrasing of my spatial memory being in the "top 95%" of those who were tested. It caused me no end of anxiety, and people would sometimes get angry with me - I almost got the sense that they couldn't believe I wasn't doing it on purpose.
Recently I travelled to another city solo, which is something I never would have done without GPS. It really opened up the world a lot for me.
I can 100% attest to this. It's waaaayy harder to keep track of my physical positioning when driving since leaning hard on GPS.
I used to be able to memorize directions to a place (and start finding shortcuts) after 2 visits. Now I pretty much have to pull out the GPS if my destination is more than 5 miles away if I've not been there > 5 times....doubly so if I need a detour.
I do the same thing and I have noticed that I'm able to learn routes and areas much faster than my friends and family that rely on GPS. At times it has been a point of contention because I am not bothered by getting slightly turned around for a minute whereas others who tend to rely heavily on GPS find it annoying. Conversely, I get annoyed when I'm riding with someone that doesn't know their area very well, or can't make adjustments to the route because they have to follow the GPS every step of the way.
Yknow I'm normally the kind of person who is very critical of phones and the impact they have on us, but this isn't an effect that I'm concerned about at all really. Communication and writing do the same thing. Efficient storage of information by definition makes it so we don't have to remember shit anymore and can focus on doing things with that information instead.
I think this is an absolutely a real effect, but I don't think it's particularly unexpected, or bad. It's like how the advent of cars has made the average human's cardio and leg muscle strength worse. Or how the washing machine has made average human arm muscles weaker. And so forth and so on.
The mind works similarly to a muscle - some mental skills must be done, and done repeatedly. When we offload tasks that would be handled by the brain to an accessible computer, we do less of those ourselves. However, you'd hardly say that people should ditch all inventions that help us complete physical tasks for better muscle growth. We instead learned other, more efficient ways to specifically help with these - that's what the gym is for. And in return you get efficiency - I'd take doing some bench presses or lat pushdowns at the gym over doing my laundry by hand any day!
Now, perhaps part of the problem is that the development of mental exercises is in very early stages, still, especially after you exit schooling. Yes, you can do sudoku puzzles, and it's been ages, but there's Brain Age and similar games. That's all very basic - it'd be like if the only way we knew to exercise was to play soccer. Soccer's an intense game, but for specific goals there's specific exercises with specific equipment that will be way more efficient. And no matter how much soccer you'll play, you're not going to gain nearly as much upper body muscle as someone doing bench presses.
Everyone who says "I use GPS" ... what does that mean, exactly? Do you mean the apps that walk you through the route step-by-step, say "turn left here, go 0.4mi, get in right lane" etc?
I use GPS, in that, I enter "I'm 'here' and I want to go 'there' ... show me the best route from here to there, full route, on a digital map." Then I memorize the route, put the phone away, and I go. Usually, I need to pull it out 2-3 times to double-check my route, but mostly, I'm going from memory of what the app showed me.
Just personal anecdote, of course, but I believe that using GPS like this does not hurt—and might even help improve—your spatial memory. Even better would be, trying to figure out the route yourself first, in your head, and then ask the app the best route.
This is me. I run a business that involves my driving for about half the time I'm on the clock, and while 80+% of that driving is to and from locations I'm familiar with routing, I still have to be able to react to emergent traffic patterns and get to the next appointment on time. I will pull out a GPS map in a pinch for optimization and first-times, but I always consciously come up with a hypothetical route to compare it to. My navigation skills have only improved.
On the other hand, I am rather neurodivergent regarding spatial reasoning and orientation, e.g. I almost always have a mental compass "at hand", I make a game out of optimizing my footpath in busy areas, etc. This might just be my weird map-loving brain. I struggle to think the exercise wouldn't be beneficial for most people though.