5 Topic Commentaries

Do screenshots change how we remember?

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  Julia S. Soares, PhD

  Cognitive psychology; memory research

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  Mississippi State University

  People think that taking a photo will help them remember something better, but it’s actually quite the contrary,”

  Source
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  Benjamin C. Storm, PhD

  Human memory; cognitive offloading; forgetting

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  University of California, Santa Cruz

  We now remember in concert with devices.”

  Source
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  Betsy Sparrow, PhD

  Social cognition; memory and technology

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  Columbia University

  Our brains rely on the Internet for memory in much the same way they rely on the memory of a friend, family member or co-worker. We remember less through knowing information itself than by knowing where the information can be found.”

  Source
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  Gal Zauberman, PhD

  Consumer behavior; judgment and decision-making; memory in experiences

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  Yale School of Management

  And generally what we find is that photo-taking increases your visual memory and decreases your memory for what you heard. So it’s not that you remember everything better; you just remember what you saw better.”

  Source
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  Linda A. Henkel, PhD

  Cognitive psychology; memory and photography

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  Fairfield University

  If we take photos merely as trophies to show off on social media, focusing our attention on how many comments and likes we get, we are less likely to remember details about our experiences.”

  Source