Mobile devices like smartphones and tablets come with a wide variety of features and benefits. The consistent use—and dependence—on those mobile devices may also come with some negative consequences, though. Reliance on devices can lead to issues with memory and cognitive skills dubbed “digital dementia”.
When I was younger—in the dark ages before the internet and smartphones—I knew every phone number relevant to me by heart. In fact, I can still tell you right now off the top of my head what my home phone number was 30 years ago when I was in high school. I knew the birth dates and wedding anniversaries of every member of my family—including aunts, uncles and cousins—by heart. I knew how to get from Point A to Point B, and what day and time my favorite shows were on TV.
I knew these things because there wasn’t really any option. I mean, I could have written it all down in a journal or day planner and carried that around everywhere, but for all practical purposes my own brain was all I had to rely on for information like this.
