![]() “However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.”According to Dennis, the reliance on handheld devices to store and remember such information as phone numbers, dates and passwords is helping by freeing the brain to enable it to hold more lasting memories, engage in analytical thinking and partake in the creative process.Mike McNeese, former senior associate dean of Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology and director of the Multi-disciplinary Initiatives and Naturalistic Decision Systems Lab, agrees that creating a solid lasting memory trace is more than just memorizing phone numbers. If I didn’t have my phone, I’d be lost,” said Evans.So could this dependence on digital devices be dangerous?“Without a doubt technology has transformed our lives and has also seemingly altered the way our brains work,” said Nancy Dennis, Penn State associate professor of psychology. She even uses a birthday reminder app that notifies her of upcoming birthdays from her contact list.“I got so busy with school this year, I forgot my dad’s birthday. A Penn State senior majoring in English with a minor in labor and employment relations, Evans admits she is dependent on her cellphone and uses it to remember her work and class schedules, as well as phone numbers of family and friends. This phenomenon has been coined “digital amnesia” - the experience of forgetting information you trust a digital device to store and remember for you.Although digital amnesia has not been recognized scientifically yet, cognitive scientists agree that relying less on the mind builds fewer neuron connections in the brain, stagnating its development.But for Ariel Evans, her smartphone is her lifeline. Many people don’t worry about remembering phone numbers, special birthdays or anniversaries anymore after all, they’re just a cellphone away.
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