Daily internet use supercharges your memory!

Frequent internet users outperform in memory tasks, hinting at a ‘use it or lose it’ effect that keeps the brain sharp for recalling daily events.

Study: Frequent internet use is associated with better episodic memory performance. Image Credit: fizkes / Shutterstock.com

A recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports reveals that frequent internet use may improve episodic memory in adults.

How does the internet affect memory?

Widespread accessibility to the internet has significantly altered modern life in profound and far-reaching ways. For example, many people use the internet to gather information on career opportunities, travel, shopping, and make new friends or renew old friendships through various social media outlets. Despite its crucial role in society, it remains unclear how internet use, particularly at the intense frequency in which it is employed, may impact human cognition, particularly episodic memory.

Episodic memory refers to the ability to learn, store, and retrieve memories of specific past events related to daily life activities. Comparatively, semantic memory refers to the memory of meanings, understandings, and concepts related to facts, information, and general knowledge about the world.

Existing evidence indicates that internet information may affect typical memory processes. The internet is considered a form of transactive memory, which requires people to remember the source of the information source, rather than the information itself. These observations indicate that people are likely becoming more dependent on the internet for retrieving information.

About the study

The current study analyzed data from the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study, which included a nationally representative sample of 36,542 individuals, 44% of whom were female and had a mean age of 46.

Self-reported internet use frequencies were categorized as “Everyday,” “Several times a week,” “Several times a month,” “Several times a year,” and “Never.” Study participants’ episodic memory was assessed using immediate and delayed word recall tasks. Participants’ demographic characteristics, including age, sex, monthly income, highest educational degree, marital status, and residence, were considered control variables.

Important observations

The study analysis controlling for demographic characteristics revealed that internet use frequency significantly impacts episodic memory, with alterations observed for immediate and delayed recall tasks.

Immediate recall task performance

Study participants who used the internet every day performed better in the immediate recall task than those who used the Internet several times every week, several times each month, several times every year, or never. Similarly, individuals who used the internet several times each week performed better on the immediate recall tasks than those who used the Internet several times each month, several times each year, or never.

For other internet use categories, a similar positive association between internet use frequency and performance in the immediate recall task was observed.

Delayed recall task performance

Compared to study participants belonging to other internet use categories, superior performance in delayed recall tasks was observed among daily internet users. A similarly positive impact of internet use frequency on delayed recall task performance was observed in all other internet use categories. 

Study significance

The current study identifies a positive association between internet use frequency and episodic memory in a large and nationally representative cohort of individuals from the U.K. 

People who use the Internet more frequently performed significantly better in both immediate recall and delayed recall tasks than those who use it less frequently. This association supports the critical involvement of episodic memory in transactive memory associated with Internet use.

The study findings support evidence that the internet acts as transactive memory and that episodic memory is activated when an individual attempts to recall where the external information is stored. These observations also support the “use it or lose it” theory, which suggests that the continuous use of any ability improves that ability. Based on this theory, the current study suggests that the frequent use of episodic memory during online activities is associated with improvements in episodic memory performance.

Thus, digital environments may foster cognitive processes that are beneficial for both present functioning and future planning. Nevertheless, additional studies are needed to explore the association between internet use and other types of memories, investigate how these associations can be affected in different contexts and platforms, and relate to brain structure and functions.

The current research can be utilized as empirical evidence for developing public health guidelines and digital therapy for people with psychological and neurological conditions such as episodic dementia.”