Growing up I always asked my dad, “how do you know that?”
A lot of times he replied because he was there. That he had lived through it or he just remembered. But to be honest, it was mostly because my father had an exceptionally good memory. The kind of internal memory that some people rely on, or used to rely on, to get around, do jobs, and tell stories. Now, we instantly externalize our experiences with our devices. This changes how we use our memories. We’re out of practice.
I’ve also noticed my memory declining over time. Though getting older is definitely a factor, it’s also because I don’t need to use it as much anymore. Anything I can’t remember instantly is a prime candidate for googling or digital recall in mere moments. I make a point to remember key phone numbers, but I think most people rely on their phones for this now.
The speed with which search results appear also impacts our expectations for our memories. Although it’s frustrating if I can’t remember something instantly, I challenge myself to stretch my internal memory muscles. I find if I can relax, resist the temptation of a device, and try to follow the chain, usually I’ll remember. Sometimes it takes a while. I think this is partially because I’m always distracted by my phone, trying to do more than one thing at a time. This is proven to impact memory and quality.
Another memory impact is the amount of content exposure. For example, I consumed a short mystery series in a week. Though only six episodes long, I had trouble recalling the introduction of certain key clues to the story. Since I watched it in a few sittings there wasn’t time to digest and reflect in between episodes. Growing up, we had to wait an entire week for a new episode. Many people also watched the same thing providing ample opportunities to discuss, chat, and socialize along with the watching.
With the advent of AI, we’ve moved away from not bothering to memorize to not even learning anymore! When I use AI to help me start a draft of something, it’s because I already know how to do it. I’m saving time with this shortcut. Today’s students are learning the art of the prompt rather than how to properly structure essays, create outlines, and formulate arguments.