The Google Effect: What it has been doing to our memory skills
The internet has enabled a leap in quality and a substantial improvement in the daily lives of millions of people, but this technology progress also comes with a huge cost: the Google Effect. Dr. Eva M. Krockow, a doctor in Psychology, through Psychology Today, defined the Google Effect as a “phenomenon in which people’s memory performs worse with easily accessible information than with information that is difficult to obtain.”
Dr. Krockow said: “Why remember complicated data, numbers or anniversary dates when you can rely on your mobile phone or computer?” In reality, the brain is just adapting to the circumstances and being productive. The Google Effect points out how the search engine helps to find information immediately and easily, so most users do not bother to retain or memorize facts that were once necessary for everyday life.
Back in the day, it was normal to know the phone numbers of friends and relatives by heart. You could even get to your destination without using an app! Today, it’s hard to imagine if your phone stopped working or got lost, do you know any phone number of anyone who could help you? Do you know any addresses or birthdays?
On the one hand, the Google Effect boosts efficiency in a society where everything seems to be online. On the other hand, experts warn, in a study published in Science, of potential risks such as technological dependence and the addiction that it can create, leading to “stress and anxiety” as Dr. Krockow pointed out.
Furthermore, if there’s a glitch, years of information, files, data, and knowledge will be lost, with little to no alternative to recover all of it in its entirety. Another risk associated with the Google Effect is the loss of critical thinking. The psychologist points out that the top answers found on search engines is usually what people consider valid.
To remedy the impact of the Google Effect, Dr. Krockow recommended the following: First, avoid multitasking. That is, focus all our attention on the information that is being processed at any given time. Another simple trick to boost memory is to take notes by hand. “The process of summarizing and writing down information slows down the mind, makes it more attentive and helps to process and remember the data,” said Dr. Krockow.
The last piece of advice to mitigate the Google Effect is to leave your devices at home from time to time. Not just your mobile phone, but also cameras, computers, tablets… With less technology, you make a bigger mental effort and have better learning. After all, we used to do things the traditional way, free from the distraction of tech gadgets, and fully engaging in life’s moments that matter most.
Reference: The Google Effect: Are we losing our memory skills?
The appeal of a TikTok-approved dance is obvious, with most big hits trending on the app first before they reach the charts. As those in charge of marketing push for these moments more, the type of music made will inevitably shape itself to fit these parameters. Organic or orchestrated, the pressure to have a viral song has forever changed music — even from those as influential as Lady Gaga.
Lady Gaga’s third album, Born This Way (2011), found the entertainer reaching back to earlier musical eras for inspiration. As a blonde dance-pop performer with a penchant for provocation, Lady Gaga has often earned comparisons to the singer Madonna. In the 2018 remake of the movie A Star Is Born, garnered critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination for her first lead role — a guileless up-and-coming singer-songwriter.
Reference: Lady Gaga’s new song The Dead Dance proves TikTok has changed music forever | Metro News
