Less Memory-Oriented- The Google Effect

"One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men;
No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man"
                                                                                  -- Elbert Hubbard

When we were kids, one aspect which played a significant role in ushering in everyday life was one's ability to remember things. To be precise, being memory oriented used to decide many a future tracks. There was a time when I knew the currencies and capitals of almost all the countries in the world- You name the country and there I am, with the answer in the flash of a second. However, one critical aspect which strikes me is that accuracy of information was difficult to challenge then. To get access to the source from where the information emanated was at times beyond our physical limits.


Times have changed drastically though. Now, we have all the information in the world- thanks to Google. But, here comes the reason as to why I chose to write on this issue. The easy availability of information on the internet is leading to an "Intellectual Laziness" making people less memory-oriented on most aspects. This is what is increasingly being referred to as the "GOOGLE EFFECT'. We no more make it a point to remember once and for all the information we checked on Google.

Consequently, in most of our discussions nowadays, when we try and relate the current topic being addressed to something similar (which happened in the past- irrespective of whether it is immediate or not), we tend to come up with statements like-

"I knew that...How can I forget that?"

"Something similar happened in Japan in the early nineties. I don't remember what exactly it was"

"I read about it just the other day on Wikipedia. Alas, I can't remember it"

"I have seen all of Meg Ryan's movies. I love the one where she falls for a person who narrates his feelings of loneliness on the radio...What was the name of the movie? Shit, I saw that movie thrice." 

Technology undoubtedly has redefined human existence. But, being dependent on it a bit too much is sure to generate negative externalities. Moving with times is necessary, but leaving behind everything is a farce !