Memory and Information Retention in Times of Digital Overload
How Constant Access to Search Engines and Social Networks Changes How We Memorize and Process Knowledge
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4314/academicus.v4i2.5%20Keywords:
Selecionado:transactional memory, memory externalization, information overload, media multitasking, cognitive processing, digital ecologyAbstract
This review article analyzes empirical evidence on the effects of constant access to search engines and social networks on human memory and knowledge processing. It integrates classic and recent findings on transactional memory, cognitive offloading, information overload, and media multitasking, articulating them with digital usage data in Angola. Studies show that the immediate availability of online information alters what we remember (more "where to find it" than the content) and how we allocate cognitive resources, with costs in sustained attention and work capacity when smartphones are present (Sparrow et al., 2011). In Angola, the rapid expansion of the internet and the predominance of mobile access create an ecosystem conducive to habits of continuous consultation and multitasking, with clinical, educational, and organizational implications. Guidelines for psychoeducation, digital hygiene, and the design of environments to optimize retention and learning are proposed.Downloads
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Copyright (c) 2026 Delfina Da Silva Neto, Helena Cosma da Graça Fonseca Veloso
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