FORGETTING

digitalmemory&the demise of

HYPOTHESIS

This thesis presents the hypothesis that the external memory created by social networking sites and other forms of digital recording in cyberspace may have negative consequences for our personal and professional advancement.

The high level of detail with which sites like facebook record events interferes with our natural ability to forget, suggesting that a need exists for digital forgetfulness. In contrast to widely accepted notions of the desirability for legacy through photographic and text-based documentation, being able to quickly surpass every detail of a difficult experience, can be ultimately advisable for personal and social betterment.

HYPOTHESIS

Understanding the role of human memory in personal development might provide an explanation for how digital archiving hinders the natural process of letting go. This in turn could lead to a solution that would restore the ability to forget every detail of past experiences.

HYPOTHESIS

mem•o•ry (mm-r)n. pl. mem•o•ries the faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information

What is humanmEmORY?

Long Term Memory

Sensory Memory

Short Term Memory

Long Term Memory

Sensory Memory

Short Term Memory

Declarative Memory

Procedural Memory

Long Term Memory

Semantic Memory

Episodic Memory

Sensory Memory

Short Term Memory

Declarative Memory

Procedural Memory

What isEXTERNALmEmORY?

CAVE PAINTINGS

WRITING

PHOTOGRAPHY

AUDIO RECORDING

FILm

from

a shift in external memory

ANALOG toDIGITAL

By eliminating noise, the incremental forgetting inherent in analog technology, the notion of originals and copies is rapidly becoming an outdated concept.”-from Delete: The Virtue of Forgetting in the Digital Age

“

Today, with the help of widespread technology, forgetting has become the exception, and remembering the default” -from Delete: The Virtue of Forgetting in the Digital Age

“

FORGETTING

Why weFORGET

as individuals we forget so that we can survive

Why weFORGET

Jill Price, known as “AJ” in science journals, remembers every detail of every day dating back to 1974, when she was 14 years old.

as a society we forget so that individuals can redeem themselves

Why weFORGET

1999 2011

Actor Robert Downey Jr. in a mugshot for his drug related arrest (left) and with his golden globe award 12 years later (right)

we lose power and timeFORGETTING

with the demise of

for example

Gordon Bell, Principal Researcher at Microsoft, Author of Total Recall: How the E-Memory Revolution Will Change Everything.

For some of us, avoiding replaying painful memories is not easy...

projectideas&potentialSOLUTIONS

Virtual Memory Kit

SYSTEm forSafety

Hierarchy

Ability to cope