[lolaryan (OP)]

Hi, I am slightly worried that constant use and easy access to Google is affecting my ability to recall information. Before the days of Google if I needed to remember some information I would think and think and eventually it would come to me. Nowadays as long as I have access to a computer I have instant access to the answer and my recall seems to have got a lot worse. Has a lack of use affected the physical structure of my brain or is this what getting older is like?

[JnA]

if you don't use it, you lose it.


or so the saying goes.

I think the usage of google and other applications online open up a different set of skills for us. You need to know how to trawl through the sites that aren't the greatest source of information, to get specific search results you need to have adequate search skills. 

The brain has been known to redefine functions in cases of loss of sight and/or brain trauma.

There's nothing stopping you having to think about a solution.. but simply 'googling' it can be easier.

[chris]

An old thread, but this question resonated with me because someone asked me something similar on the "Ask! The Naked Scientists" science radio phone-in today.

Their query was about recall and information retrieval, but I'd be interested in the perspective of everyone here whether instant the gratification culture we're creating through rapid access to online resources is affecting the way we think in a negative way.

[jeffreyH]

I think it is quite the opposite. In some instances it is like having a clever mate on hand to help you out. Of course it can sometimes be the crazy mate too. If it was all you relied upon then it could get quite negative. Mainstream texts should always be used in conjunction with online sources. You could always ask someone more experienced about the reliability of a source.

[evan_au]

There is still an advantage in being exposed to science concepts and what they are called, even if you need to call up a reference for the details.

Who would know that a “Lek” is a “thing”, unless you had been exposed to that concept? (...to quote a recent example from this forum.)
- if you remember the word, you can google it directly
- even if you don’t remember the weird word, you could still google “group sexual display” to find it.

PS: “google” is just “go ogle” with different punctuation - “Silicon Valley”

[smart]

I don't use Google directly since its more or less a corporate tool to enforce censorship. I highly recommend people to start using startpage.com to query Google anonymously. By the way, once you get good at finding stuff on the web, using an alternative search engine is no different than with Google.