Technology enables seats of learning, not a tower of Babel

A recent study from Columbia University claims that the ability to find almost any information at the click of a few buttons on Google could make us less likely to remember things. Apparently, researchers believe that we tend to forget information if we are confident that we can find it again.

This brought to mind my recent trip to Amsterdam to stay with my brother. Like most people when they go abroad, I was plagued with the choice between lack of a data roaming service or one that would have left me broke. As a result, I was forced to memorise routes to places I wanted to visit and, through fear of getting lost as I wondered through Amsterdam’s most beautiful canal-side streets, I discovered I had somehow gained a flawless sense of direction.

Those that know me will understand exactly how rare this is. Having lived in London all my life and having worked in Soho for over a year, I still have to concentrate when emerging from one of the many Oxford Circus  tube station exits every morning. I also still have trouble pointing tourists in the right direction of Piccadilly Circus – or any place for that matter – but remain confident in the knowledge that if needs be, I am able to whip out my BlackBerry (yes, I know!) and rely on my trusty Google Maps app to guide me on my way.

It seems we depend so much on technology to get us through our lives – we use it to wake us up in the mornings, to communicate with friends, colleagues family and even strangers, to remind us of meetings, to get to places, to educate us, and if you’re like me, you even use it to remember to call your mum once in a while. A world where people had to trawl through books for information, use pen and paper to communicate and a compass to find their way is long gone.  Yet the internet also helps us learn and develop as people. Amid the spam and YouTube videos, children and adults today have access to a wealth of information from around the world as and when it happens, as well as information from the past which we would never have bothered to find if it wasn’t as readily available to us. It even allows to keep in touch with distantly-located relatives or friends without the time lag postage entails.

While it’s important to acknowledge the past and understand where we once were and how far we’ve come, the advancement of technology is a step towards progress. With all the information in the world at the click of a button, why shouldn’t we incorporate it into our everyday lives? As the saying goes: change is good sometimes.