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Binghamton University study links screenshots to digital amnesia
Research from Binghamton University, published in the journal Memory & Cognition, suggests that taking screenshots can lead to a phenomenon known as ‘digital amnesia,’ where individuals remember less information than those who simply observe content.
Across seven preregistered experiments, researchers found that participants had poorer recall of images they had captured via screenshot compared to those they had only viewed. This effect mirrors the previously documented ‘photo-taking impairment effect,’ but extends specifically to digital screenshots on mobile devices.
Lead author Sophia Fabrizio and the research team identified two potential drivers for this memory decline. One is divided attention, where the physical act of capturing the screen diverts cognitive resources away from the content. The second is ‘cognitive offloading,’ a process where the brain reduces its effort to memorize information because it knows the data is safely stored on a device.
Entities
Binghamton University · Memory & Cognition · Sophia Fabrizio
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Cognitive offloading may occur when the brain reduces memorization effort because information is stored on a device. www.diariodemallorca.es · www.farodevigo.es · www.eldia.es
- [● 3 SOURCES] Participants remembered fewer images they had captured via screenshot compared to those they had only observed. www.diariodemallorca.es · www.farodevigo.es · www.eldia.es
- [● 3 SOURCES] The research was published in the journal Memory & Cognition. www.diariodemallorca.es · www.farodevigo.es · www.eldia.es
- [● 3 SOURCES] The digital amnesia effect applies to mobile phone screenshots. www.diariodemallorca.es · www.farodevigo.es · www.eldia.es
- [● 3 SOURCES] Researchers from Binghamton University conducted a study on the effects of screenshots on memory. www.diariodemallorca.es · www.farodevigo.es · www.eldia.es
- [● 3 SOURCES] Researchers believe divided attention alone does not fully explain the memory decline. www.diariodemallorca.es · www.farodevigo.es · www.eldia.es