Here’s a question that will only work for readers of a certain age: what was your childhood telephone number? Chances are you had no problem rattling that off, despite not having dialled those digits in decades.

Now try this: what is your current partner’s mobile phone number? Chances are you have no clue, despite possibly having texted them dozens of times in the past 24 hours.

Surely this is a sign that technology is killing memory, right?

Not so fast. If technology were killing memory, then why can we remember our childhood phone number? Shouldn’t that have faded away with the eroding impact of technology as well?

Put simply, tech does not appear to be harming memory in any way, shape or form. Instead, it is simply re-defining what type of memory we favour.

Memory comes in several distinct forms. For instance, procedural memory is our ability to remember how to perform actions (riding a bike) while working memory is our ability to hold information in conscious awareness for short periods (mentally repeating an email address).

Within education, we typically focus on declarative memory. This is our ability to remember names, dates, facts - those things that students (wrongly or rightly) are commonly tested on.

There are two different ways to access declarative memories: recognition and recall. Answering the question “Which of the following images is Frankenstein’s Monster?” is an example of recognition. In this instance, information is stored and presented externally. All you need do is glance at each image and decide which matches the question - no internal resources are required.

Meanwhile, answering the question “What is the capital of Germany?” is an example of recall. In this instance, you must come up with the correct answer using purely internal means - no external assistance is involved. To answer this effectively, relevant ideas and facts must be stored within your brain.

Bringing it together

To understand how technology is impacting memory, try this: can you look up your partner’s phone number?

Technology does not destroy our ability to retain information - it simply makes it incredibly easy to externally store and access information. As such, technology favours recognition…and, when we utilise it, so do we.

Interestingly, externalised memory storage still requires us to employ internal recall. Even though you may not be able to recall your partner’s number, you can certainly recall where it is stored and what buttons to press to access it on your phone.

When individuals know they can access facts externally, they typically display weak recall for those facts (but strong recall for the location of those facts). Conversely, when the same individuals know they cannot access facts externally, they typically display strong recall of the facts themselves. In both instances, something is being memorised - what it is simply changes depending on the tool employed.

Now for the true question

Technology isn’t killing memory - it’s simply changing which form of memory we rely on.

The true question, then, isn’t what impact technology is having on our memory: it is what type of memory do you want students to exercise?

Sometimes, the answer might be recognition (for instance, if you’re more interested in global themes of war than in particular dates). In this case, embrace external technology storage. Sometimes, the answer might be recall (for instance, if you’re interested in students applying maths equations). In this case, forgo technology in lieu of other, more “traditional” techniques.

Dr Jared Cooney Horvath is a neuroscientist, educator and author, and is director of the Science of Learning Group