Digital technologies are not just transforming the way we live and
work; they are changing the way we think, learn, behave – and
remember.
The long term effects of digital device and Internet use are being
actively investigated by cognitive neuroscientists, psychologists and
many others. Large-scale studies are still in their infancy, results
can be contradictory, and their interpretation contentious.
Considerable attention is currently focused on the potential effect of
technologies, such as gaming, on brain development, behavior and
cognitive skills, particularly among young people.
Other studies have looked at the impact on brain functionality of
always-on access to the Internet’s vast repository of information. A
seminal paper published in Science in 2011 detailed research by
Harvard and the Universities of Columbia and Wisconsin into memory
and Internet use. The study showed that the way young people in the
U.S. remembered information was changing as a result of being able
to find information online: they retained fewer facts but could readily
recall where the information was stored. The researchers called this
‘the Google effect.’
Using this as a starting point, Kaspersky Lab wanted to better
understand how digital devices and the Internet affect the way
ordinary people of all ages recall and use information today –
and what, if anything, they are doing to protect the most critical
information and ensure they and their families can enjoy the best of
the Internet’s intelligence without risk.
Previous Kaspersky Lab studies have shown that many people
underestimate just how exposed their externally-stored memories
can be. They don’t consider themselves a target and rarely think about
the need to protect their memories with IT security, such as anti-virus
software.
As part of its commitment to help people protect what matters most
in their online-enabled world, Kaspersky Lab commissioned research
to explore these issues across the United States.
Full article (PDF) at:
https://kasperskycontenthub.com/usa/files/2015/06/Digital-Amnesia-Report.pdf
