Google Knows, We Don’t: Is ‘Digital Amnesia’ Making Us Forget How To Think Without Searching?

When was the last time you remembered something without reaching for your phone? Perhaps you tried to recite your best friend’s mobile number, only to dive into contacts instead. Or you sat down to recall the route to the café you’ve visited weekly then launched Google Maps anyway. These everyday memory drops feel small, but they point to something larger, a growing habit of outsourcing our minds. A 2025 study found that over 70% of university students who relied heavily on their smartphones showed clear signs of digital amnesia meaning they struggled to recall basic information without checking their devices. The researchers noted that this dependence was statistically very strong, showing that the more time students spent on their phones, the more their natural memory declined.