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Is impatience making us digital amnesiacs?

​Half of Americans will Google an answer before they'll try to remember it — and then, eight seconds later, forget the answer they got from Google, says Kaspersky Lab.

October 8, 2015

In an increasingly connected world where the average attention span has fallen to just eight seconds, our inclination to forget facts we can retrieve from a digital device or the Internet,known as Digital Amnesia, could be exacerbated by our desire to get what we want within milliseconds, Kaspersky Lab's study into the condition suggests. 

The study, which involved more than 1,000 U.S. consumers age 16 and older, shows that when faced with a question, 39.3 percent of those surveyed will try to come up with the answer themselves, but half (50 percent) will head straight for the Internet, rising to 55 percent of those aged 45 and over. These consumers seem to be reluctant to spend time trying to recall something from memory or possibly doubt the accuracy of those memories.

Only 28.9 percent of respondents admit they would forget the online answer as soon as they had used it, rising to 32 percent of those aged 55 and over; however, only 5.5 percent assume the information will always be available online.

This urge for the fastest possible access to information, combined with a reluctance to remember it afterwards, has far-reaching implications for both our long-term memories and for the protection of the devices we depend on.

In terms of memory development, the experts who advised on the Digital Amnesia report highlighted how a failure to make use of the information stored in our memories — for example by preferring to search online — can ultimately result in the dilution or disappearance of those memories.

"Our brain appears to strengthen a memory each time we recall it, and at the same time forget irrelevant memories that are distracting us. Past research has repeatedly demonstrated that actively recalling information is a very efficient way to create a permanent memory. In contrast, passively repeating information (e.g., by repeatedly looking it up on the Internet) does not create a solid, lasting memory trace in the same way. Based on this research, it can be argued that the trend to look up information before even trying to recall it prevents the build-up of long-term memories," explains Dr. Maria Wimber, Lecturer, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham.

Cyber security can be an early casualty of our impatience to access information online. Kaspersky Lab[iii] has found that just under a fifth (18 percent) of consumers — 22 percent of those aged up to 24 — will opt for speed over protection when downloading files. This leaves the door wide open for malicious software with the intent on stealing personal data and compromising the device and any other devices connected to it.

If consumers haven't protected their data, their online accounts and devices with strong passwords and data back-ups, the memories and information these hold could be lost or damaged forever.

"We are now discovering that Digital Amnesia is also influenced by several factors, including a need for instant answers when faced with a question," said Christopher Doggett, managing director of Kaspersky Lab North America. "This notion of data impatience could put consumers at risk if they are tempted to cut corners when it comes to security. Whether we have become unable or simply too impatient to remember, protecting these devices and the invaluable information they hold should be a priority for us all."

The report, "The rise and impact of Digital Amnesia: Why we need to protect what we no longer remember," is available for free download from Kaspersky from

Another guide, "Your Digital Valuables," exploring the dangers of not remembering things for ourselves, also is available for free download.