In today’s world, we find ourselves constantly forgetting the little things. Losing a name mid-conversation, suddenly forgetting the PIN to your phone which you unlock a dozen times a day, for some reason being completely unable to remember what you ate for dinner last night. We rush to blame being distracted, age, and even technology; but what if forgetting isn’t a glitch in the system, but part of the system? In an age where our phones act as a storage device for our memories, the question arises as to whether we’re losing our natural memory. However, could it be possible forgetting is adaption in disguise – the brains way of learning to let go of the unimportant so we don’t drown in information?

Neuroscience proves that our brains are built to manage the overload of information it receives daily, showing that our minds are always actively choosing memories to keep and which to let fade (Gravtiz, 2019). The hippocampus (a part of the brain that helps form new memories) and the pre-frontal cortex (an area within the brain which plays a role in decision-making) work together to decide which memories are worth keeping (Friedman & Robbins, 2021). Unused memories fade (decay), newly learned information makes it harder to recall old knowledge (interference), and accessing a memory reshapes it (reconsolidation). Schacter (1999) calls these perceived weaknesses the “Seven Sins of Memory”, validating these so-called memory errors as a process of adaptive forgetting. Schacter (1999) describes these moments as part of how our brain prioritises what truly matters, while pushing back knowledge that is not important in the moment. So, if the core science of memory proves that forgetting is a crucial part of the brains adaptive process and helps our brains avoid overload and error, why do we perceive forgetfulness as a decline?

As we enter the depths of the digital age, a question pondered by many across the media and tech industry, as well as academics, is whether our reliance on the internet changes cognition. Research by Marsh and Rajaram (2019) explores how the digital world reshapes our cognitive processes, particularly memory. The research identified ten key features of the internet, known to influence cognition; from the ability to access vast amounts of information (much of which can be unreliable or inaccurate) and can be presented in a variety of formats, to the sheer convenience of this information, often requiring minimal technical skills to access it. These identified features contribute to what is described as the digital expansion of the mind, wherein the internet and technology acts as an external memory system, allowing us to offload information and certain cognitive tasks such as recalling specific facts or memories. While research has found this can enhance efficiency (Marsh & Rajaram, 2019; Richmond & Taylor, 2025), it also alters the way in which we store and retrieve information. When you set a reminder on your phone or jot down your shopping list in your notes app, you are essentially letting your brain outsource the remembering. While this may boost memory performance because you have an external cue acting as a reliable prompt to trigger the memory, freeing up your brain to focus on problem-solving and creativity, it can also mean we don’t practice remembering ourselves, weakening our ability to retain information independently (Richmond & Taylor, 2025).

Additional research further supports this suggestion that over-reliance on digital tools can weaken the brain’s built-in memory systems, while also proposing that it may be reshaping how our memory works rather than a straightforward loss. Sparrow et al. (2011) introduces the google effect, exploring the idea that we often forget the information and only remember how to find it (transactive memory). The study explores the idea that the internet is changing how our memory works, suggesting that people aren’t necessarily getting worse at remembering overall, but are instead experiencing a change in how their memory functions. The findings discovered by Sparrow et al. (2011) ties in well with Marsh and Rajaram (2019), which also supports this idea that digital reliance may be reshaping how our memory works. While Sparrow et al. (2011) focuses on a shift in what we remember, Marsh and Rajaram (2019) argue that using the internet as an external memory system changes the way our brains handle memory, and Richmond and Taylor (2025) explore the idea that while offloading is useful, it may weaken the ability to naturally recall information. Each of these studies examine memory from different angles, however, they all clearly highlight the consequence of relying on our digital devices as external memory. 

So where does all this leave us? At first glance, it’s easy to be concerned about society’s reliance on technology and how these tools change what and how we remember. However, if we take a step back, a more nuanced picture emerges; we’re not necessarily forgetting more, we’re remembering differently. Our brains are made to adapt, especially when it comes to memory. In the digital age, forgetting can be described as an adaptation, one in which plays out in partnership with technology. We are shifting from memorising facts, to remembering where to find them, and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. With an abundance of information at our fingertips, it’s no shock that our brains are trying to find new ways to regulate the overload of knowledge received on a daily basis. While using our devices as an external memory system frees up our mind for more creative thinking and problem-solving, our reliance is affecting our ability to remember independently. Rather than perceiving this as a good or a bad thing, we must learn to adjust and use digital tools wisely. The key is balance – choosing when to rely on these search engines and apps. We must learn to blend the strengths of both and use our devices as a support system as opposed to a substitute. If we use these tools intentionally, we can unlock the best of both worlds, the strength of our natural memory and the efficiency of digital tools.