Seen At 11: Can Relying On Technology Cause 'Digital Amnesia?'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- With so much going on in her life, it's easy to see how Ryan Jordan, mother and full time business owner, could occasionally become overwhelmed.
For that reason, she says she relies on her digital devices to do some of her thinking for her.
"I used to be able to spit off directions, spit off phone numbers," Jordan said.
Using your smart phone as an extension of your brain to store things like birth dates and passwords -- or to even look up trivia, like the name of a forgotten favorite movie, might seem innocent enough.
But experts say this memory crutch -- is leading to what's known as "digital amnesia."
The study was commissioned by Kaspersky Lab "to better understand how digital devices and the Internet affect the way consumers recall and use information today – and what, if anything, they are doing to protect it."
"We no longer have information on the tip of our tongue because we have the info at our fingertips," Dr. Barbara Greenberg, a psychologist, said.
According to Dr. Greenberg, relying on our phones too much for everyday information could have long-term consequences, CBS2's Kristine Johnson reported.
"The brain sort of like our muscles, needs to get exercise, needs to be used in order to ensure optimal functioning," Dr. Greenberg said.
In order to learn something new, we need to take the time to process it by repeating it or even connecting with it, according to neurologist Dr. Fawaz Faisal. When people use digital devices, the information may come in -- but it goes right back out.
"The neurons are not firing sufficiently to build those new circuits," Dr. Faisal said.
Experts recommended that instead of relying on computerized convenience to keep track of so much, take the time to memorize important information -- especially emergency numbers, in case your phone is lost or stolen.
"There's no problem with going on Google to research our questions, but I think we also need to then step back and think about the information we learned," Dr. Greenberg said.
