Being able to store and retrieve information from our phones frees us up not to have to remember anything. And yet having to remember keeps our minds strong and gives us a sense of mastery, mental acuity, and continuity. When we are able to pull up things from the recesses of our minds, dig deep into the memory files, it feels good. We feel alive, fully functioning, sharp. We get to experience the particular sensation that is the brain turning its wheels, working. On the other hand, losing our memory, which happens when we cede memory to our devices, feels disempowering, disabling, and even
...more
