You pick up your phone to check one WhatsApp message.

Just one.

Maybe you were waiting for the class to start, sitting in an auto, lying in bed after telling yourself that you should probably sleep, or standing in the kitchen while your tea is getting cold. You reply to that message, open Instagram for a minute, watch a reel, then another and another. One is about a celebrity, the next is a recipe you’ll save but never make, then there’s a video about something happening somewhere in the world, followed by a completely unrelated meme, and an AI generated video.

You keep on scrolling and thirty minutes later, you put your phone down and realise that you can barely remember what you just watched. You remember scrolling. You remember being entertained, annoyed, curious, maybe even worried. But if you ask yourself what the last five reels were about, you might struggle to remember any of them.

We might usually laugh this off as having a “bad memory” or being unable to concentrate anymore. But maybe memory isn’t the first thing that failed us. Maybe it was attention all along. And that distinction matters. Memory doesn’t begin when we try to remember something. It begins much earlier, with what we actually notice and take in. Information that never receives our full attention has a harder time becoming something we can later retrieve.

Which raises a slightly uncomfortable question: in a world where our attention is constantly being pulled somewhere else, how much are we actually giving our memory to work with?

When attention is divided

We often think of memory as information which simply enters the brain, gets stored, and waits for us to retrieve it later. In reality, memory involves several processes, including encoding, storage and retrieval. What happens during encoding matters because information has to be sufficiently processed before it can be remembered later.

This becomes relevant when we use several forms of media at once. A student might attend an online lecture while checking WhatsApp, listening to music, switching between browser tabs and occasionally opening Instagram. It may feel as though all of these activities are happening simultaneously, but the mind still has to manage competing sources of information.

Research has found associations between heavier media multitasking and differences in working memory and long-term memory. Uncapher, Thieu and Wagner (2016) found that heavy media multitaskers performed worse on a range of working-memory measures. Lower working-memory performance was also associated with poorer long-term memory performance. Their findings suggest that when irrelevant information competes with information we are trying to remember, it may be harder to maintain a clear representation of what is important.

However, this does not mean that using multiple devices or apps automatically damages our memory. Much of the research in this area is correlational, meaning that it cannot establish that media multitasking itself caused the differences. Reviews of the literature have also found mixed findings, with some studies showing relationships between heavier media multitasking and poorer cognitive control while others do not find the same effects on every measure.

Ultimately, it all comes down to our media habits. Constantly dividing attention can make it harder to give any one piece of information the sustained processing it needs. Sometimes, the phone does not even have to be in use. The effect of a gadget on attention may begin before we actually pick it up.

In a series of experiments, Ward, Duke, Gneezy and Bos (2017) examined whether simply having one’s own smartphone nearby could affect cognitive capacity. The result revealed that participants performed better on measures of available working memory and fluid intelligence when their phones were placed farther away rather than within easy reach. The researchers proposed that part of the problem may be the mental resources involved in resisting the temptation to attend to the device.

Similarly, Stothart, Mitchum and Yehnert (2015) found that receiving a mobile-phone notification disrupted performance on an attention-demanding task, even when participants did not actually interact with their phones. The notification itself was enough to produce distraction.

These findings offer an important distinction. A phone does not have to completely interrupt what we are doing to compete for our attention. A notification, a visible screen or simply the expectation that something might appear can become another thing our mind has to deal with. And when the task is something we want to remember, that matters.

The problem with endless scrolling

Scrolling introduces another feature that is different from ordinary distraction, continuous novelty.

A book has pages. A television episode has an ending. Even a conversation naturally moves through topics and eventually stops. An infinite social-media feed does not have the same natural stopping point. There is always another post, another video or another headline waiting. This does not mean that scrolling automatically causes memory problems. But it creates an environment in which attention can move rapidly from one unrelated piece of information to another.

One moment you are watching a cooking video. The next is a political headline, followed by a football clip, a joke, an advertisement and someone’s holiday. Each item may receive a few seconds of attention before being replaced by something completely different. The result is not necessarily that we remember nothing. Instead, we may remember fragments: a face, a joke, a surprising fact, a feeling. What may be missing is a detailed and organised memory of the experience.

The gap between exposure and processing dictates what we actually retain. Seeing information is not the same as deeply processing it. We can encounter enormous amounts of information without forming a strong memory for most of it.

When our devices become our external memory

Gadgets do not only compete with memory. They can also take over some of the jobs memory normally performs.

Think about how often we rely on our phones to remember things. We save someone’s number instead of memorising it. We put appointments into a calendar. We set reminders for birthdays, deadlines and medication. We use Google Maps instead of remembering a route. We save articles, screenshots and notes because we expect that we can return to them later.

Psychologists refer to this more broadly as cognitive offloading, using something outside the mind to reduce the amount of information that has to be maintained internally.

One of the best-known examples is the “Google effect” described by Sparrow, Liu and Wegner (2011). Across four studies, the researchers found that when people expected information to be available later, they showed poorer recall for the information itself but better memory for where the information could be accessed. In other words, people sometimes remembered where to find information rather than the information itself. This does not necessarily mean that technology is making us less intelligent or destroying our memories. External memory systems can be extremely useful. We do not need to memorise every phone number, appointment or fact if we have reliable ways of retrieving that information when we need it.

The more interesting question is what we choose to outsource. If an app remembers our appointments, directions and contacts, that may simply make everyday life easier. But if we constantly rely on external sources before giving ourselves a chance to process information, we may remember less of the information itself.

Recent research on digital externalisation similarly suggests that technology-based cognitive offloading can be useful for problem-solving while also having potential costs for learning and memory, depending on how it is used.

What about taking photographs?

Our phones can also become external storage for our experiences as well.

We take photographs at concerts, birthdays, holidays, meals and even ordinary moments. The assumption is often that by taking a photograph it will help us remember the experience later. Sometimes it can. But the relationship between photographing and remembering is more complicated.

In a 2014 study, psychologist Linda Henkel asked participants on a museum tour to either observe objects or photograph them. Participants who photographed entire objects later remembered fewer objects, fewer details and fewer locations than participants who simply observed them. Interestingly, this effect did not occur when participants were asked to zoom in and photograph a specific part of an object. This study does not show that taking photographs generally harms memory. Instead, the focus shifts to how deeply we engage with the experience in that moment. Taking a photograph can sometimes draw attention away from the experience, while a more focused form of photographing may involve additional attention to what is being captured.

Again, the issue comes back to what happens during the experience itself. A camera can store an image for us. It cannot automatically create the same kind of memory that comes from paying attention to what we are seeing, hearing and experiencing.

So, are gadgets ruining our memory?

Probably not in the simple way that the question suggests. The concern is more specific to what happens when our devices repeatedly interrupt attention, encourage rapid switching, or become the default place where information is stored?

The evidence does not support the idea that smartphones have simply “destroyed our attention spans” or permanently damaged human memory. What the research does give us is a reason to pay attention to the relationship between attention, technology and memory. But the pattern becomes worth thinking about when we notice how often we move through experiences without really taking them in.

When Is a Memory Gap Actually a Problem?

Not every memory gap means that something is wrong. Forgetting where you left your phone, losing track of what you watched online, or struggling to recall a conversation from a few days ago can all happen as part of everyday life. Memory is selective, and we do not retain every detail of everything we experience. What matters more is the pattern. Occasional forgetfulness is very different from persistent or worsening memory difficulties that begin to interfere with everyday activities. In those situations, it is important not to assume that a phone or social media is the cause. Memory can be influenced by many factors, including sleep, stress, mood, medications, ageing and other health conditions. Gadget use may be one part of the picture, but it should not become an explanation for every memory difficulty.

Maybe the question, then, is not simply “Why can’t I remember anything?”,  it might be “What am I actually giving my memory a chance to remember?”

What can we actually do?

• Give important information your full attention: If someone is telling you something important, you’re studying, or you’re in a meeting, put the phone away rather than keeping it beside you. The goal isn’t to avoid technology completely, but to give your brain uninterrupted time to process what you’re trying to remember.
• Turn off non-essential notifications: Not every notification needs your immediate attention. Reducing unnecessary alerts can limit interruptions and make it easier to stay with the task in front of you.
• Keep your phone out of reach during focused tasks: If you are studying, reading, or working, putting the phone in another room or inside your bag can be more effective than repeatedly telling yourself not to check it.
• Don’t use your phone as your memory for everything: Calendars, reminders and notes are useful, but try to actively remember information that you actually need to know. After reading something important, for example, close the screen and see what you can recall rather than immediately looking it up again.
• Pause before switching: Before opening another app or checking a notification, ask yourself whether you actually need to switch tasks. Sometimes the impulse to check something is automatic rather than necessary.
• Be present before you document: Taking photographs can be useful, but when you’re experiencing something important, spend some time actually looking, listening and engaging before reaching for the camera.
• Give scrolling a stopping point: Infinite feeds don’t provide a natural end, so create one yourself. Decide what you intend to do before opening an app and leave when you’ve done it, rather than relying on the feed to tell you when you’re finished.
• Protect your sleep: If you find yourself scrolling long after you meant to sleep, put the phone away. Sleep plays an important role in memory, try to avoid letting late-night scrolling cut into your regular sleep time.
• Move during the day: A walk, stretching, taking the stairs, or simply getting up between long periods of sitting can give you time away from your screen while supporting overall brain health.
• Take breaks that are actually breaks: Give yourself periods without continuous digital stimulation. Switching from Instagram to YouTube is still screen time. Go outside, make a cup of tea, stretch, or just sit for a few minutes without reaching for your phone.
• Pay attention to how you feel: Hunger, dehydration, fatigue and stress can all make it harder to concentrate effectively. Meeting these basic needs can support the attention required for learning and remembering.
• Leave some moments unfilled: Not every quiet moment needs to become scrolling time. Waiting for your food, sitting in an auto, standing in a queue or travelling somewhere can be moments when you simply let your mind wander instead of immediately reaching for your phone.

At the end of the day, it is all about the experiences we cherish, and the magic of memories that makes life more meaningful. Use gadgets as tools within our control, not as things that control you. Focus on real-life experiences, and what truly adds value to your life and find focus by connecting our senses with the elements again.

References

Henkel, L. A. (2014). Point-and-shoot memories: The influence of taking photos on memory for a museum tour. Psychological Science, 25(2), 396–402. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797613504438

Sparrow, B., Liu, J., & Wegner, D. M. (2011). Google effects on memory: Cognitive consequences of having information at our fingertips. Science, 333(6043), 776–778. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1207745

Stothart, C., Mitchum, A., & Yehnert, C. (2015). The attentional cost of receiving a cell phone notification. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 41(4), 893–897. https://doi.org/10.1037/xhp0000100

Uncapher, M. R., Thieu, M. K., & Wagner, A. D. (2016). Media multitasking and memory: Differences in working memory and long-term memory. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 23(2), 483–490. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-015-0907-3

Van der Schuur, W. A., Baumgartner, S. E., Sumter, S. R., & Valkenburg, P. M. (2015). The consequences of media multitasking for youth: A review. Computers in Human Behavior, 53, 204–215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.06.035

Ward, A. F., Duke, K., Gneezy, A., & Bos, M. W. (2017). Brain drain: The mere presence of one’s own smartphone reduces available cognitive capacity. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 2(2), 140–154. https://doi.org/10.1086/691462

Skulmowski, A. (2023). The cognitive architecture of digital externalization. Educational Psychology Review, 35, 101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09818-1

Article by: Anita Antony

Date: 11-11-2026