Buzz
Technology isn't always a friend to our memory. Excessive use of map apps can affect our ability to navigate. Information overload might make us forgetful. We often rely on Google as an external storage drive for knowledge we'd once store in our minds. All those vacation photos of sunsets and landmarks could be influencing how we remember the experience, according to a new study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, highlighted by Vox.
In three separate experiments, psychologists asked participants to document or share media during self-guided tours.
In one case, 132 individuals were instructed to visit a church on Stanford University's campus, where they were asked to either snap at least five photos for themselves, take pictures to share on Facebook, or avoid taking any photos. After a week or two, they completed a memory test about the church based on their self-guided tour using a university brochure. The results revealed that taking photos, whether for personal use or for social media sharing, hindered participants' recollection of the church's details.
In another experiment, 238 participants toured the same church, but this time they were paired up instead of going solo. Most had never met their partners before the study. Communication was prohibited between partners, and each pair was divided into different conditions: in some, one participant was asked to take personal photos while the other refrained; in others, one person shared photos to Facebook while the other took none; and in yet another group, both participants were instructed to avoid taking photos. Once again, the researchers discovered that taking photos led to poorer memory recall in a follow-up survey days later.
Importantly, in both experiments, taking photos didn't change how much people enjoyed the experience, despite making it harder to remember the details. However, if the goal of snapping pictures is to preserve a moment in memory, it might not be the best use of your vacation, even if it results in a great social media snapshot.
The researchers conclude that documenting an event "may prevent people from remembering the very moments they seek to preserve." The study wraps up with a rather somber realization: "Ironically, our findings suggest that using media to capture these moments may hinder people from truly experiencing them in the first place." At least you'll still have fun, though.
