Has technology negatively affected mental agility?

semi-pro waster said:
While there may be something to the idea that there is an over-reliance on gadgets there is also an argument that it's simply adaptation and utilising your time/memory more efficiently due to the prevailing conditions of the time. I think the truth is somewhere between those arguments, in some ways we have become ever more reliant on technology but that doesn't mean life has got simpler.

I'd also note that while you probably knew more telephone numbers off by heart when you were younger it was likely to be somewhat simpler in some ways e.g. they'd almost certainly be fixed lines and quite possibly if your mates lived close the prefixes were the same so you're basically remembering four unique digits which identified their particular line and six or seven standard digits for the dialling code and local area. For comparability, how many PINs do you remember these days and how many passwords now? You might be surprised if you tot it up by the amount of information you have to remember - it's in a different form than before but that doesn't necessarily make it any easier.
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this is probably my thoughts on the matter, like i still do maths in my head if it is simple enough, and i still remember key numbers e.g. my own, my house number, mum, dads, OCUK, Mamma mia's pizzeria.....just the important ones however when it comes into logging into a website, i usually go through lots of combinations for my password and username, if i were to write down all my usernames and passwords it would probably fill the page with all the different ones i use and have used.

I don't think we are dumbing down, we are just making things easier for ourselves, for example why would i go down town to meet my friends everyday if i can sit in my house and chat with them for hours over skype while we all enjoy playing the same game. Its easier, a better use of time and more importantly not awkward when i want to leave rather than in public having to slowly edge into i'm leaving, on skype "right i'll talk to you guys later, bye" done.

by using gadgets it makes things easier more convienient, we still ahve to learn how to use them so it isn't just for any idiot. Gaming, some games i have seem take hours of learning even just to get to know the basics, and years to become a professional player. so if anything i think the reliance on computer actually improves your mental agility
 
mrbell1984 said:
I can see that memory is becoming worse and people move with technology as remembering isn't required.
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That isn't necessarily a bad thing. We may not need to remember the same facts we once did but we do need to be better at interpreting the information we search for. Critical thinking skills are more important now than ever.
 
Leprechaun312 said:
this is probably my thoughts on the matter, like i still do maths in my head if it is simple enough, and i still remember key numbers e.g. my own, my house number, mum, dads, OCUK, Mamma mia's pizzeria.....just the important ones however when it comes into logging into a website, i usually go through lots of combinations for my password and username, if i were to write down all my usernames and passwords it would probably fill the page with all the different ones i use and have used.
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Dude you need to devise a system. That's what I do so my passwords are all different for each website but they are based on the same formula
 
Understanding > Remembering.

Parrot fashion learning, which is how we all did phone numbers back in the day, is basic and borderline Pavlovian. :p
 
estebanrey said:
Dude you need to devise a system. That's what I do so my passwords are all different for each website but they are based on the same formula
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probably, but after having to change my email and passwords for everything once this year, i am not doing to again, my email got hacked so all my accounts were compromised.
 
The thing is, the way you've phrased your post, both scenarios basically translate into saying that these skills are largely redundant, replaced by a digital phonebook and a calculator (both one which can now easily fit into your pocket in a single device).

Decaying of skills superseded by technology only matters IMO if a) you have a genuine need to use them more than occasionally; or b) they are of critical importance e.g. needed in a life or death situation.
 
Personal technology hasn't really progressed passed automating the menial. I can read a map fine, but using my phone is miles faster and comes with a built in compass - which I normally wouldn't carry around. I never used to remember 50+ phone numbers, I just used a physical phone book - by digital (backed up to cloud) version is much better.

People that are unable to do 15% of 80 in their head faster than it takes for them to take out a phone/calculator and type it in, are just bad at mathematics - something which has been common far before calculators were so ubiquitous.
 
Rhodri said:
Or use a password manager.
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I never really looked in to them, but I have a work computer, work laptop (can't install anything on either), smartphone, tablet, home pc, personal laptop and HTPC.

Would there be a solution to work across everything, or would my work stuff be the exceptions?
 
krooton said:
I never really looked in to them, but I have a work computer, work laptop (can't install anything on either), smartphone, tablet, home pc, personal laptop and HTPC.

Would there be a solution to work across everything, or would my work stuff be the exceptions?
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I use LastPass with the app on the phone so anything I can't install it on I manually look it up on the phone - which admittedly is a bit tiresome, but I rarely need to do (you can also login to your vault through the web interface and copy and paste passwords, so would probably be fine for your work machines you just wouldn't have the browser extension).

I find the form-filling and having all of my sites have completely unique passwords a worthwhile trade-off for the few annoyances, but obviously your usage may differ.

I think there's a few free ones and most the paid ones do a free trial, so may be worth checking out.
 
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