The widespread use of search engines and online databases has affected the way people remember information, researchers are reporting.
The scientists, led by  Betsy Sparrow, an assistant professor of psychology at Columbia, wondered whether  people were more likely to remember information that could be easily retrieved from a computer, just as students are more likely to recall facts they believe will be on a test.
Dr. Sparrow and her collaborators, Daniel M. Wegner of Harvard and Jenny Liu of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, staged four different memory experiments. In one, participants typed 40 bits of trivia — for example, “an ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain” — into a computer. Half of the subjects believed the information would be saved in the computer; the other half believed the items they typed would be erased.

Have you even gone online, got distracted, only to forget what you were searching for in the first place?

I read that the other day. It's scary... is the same with GPS,etc. I don't have yet Iphones or IPads but every time that I'm with someone who has it and we have a question like I can't remember the name of an actor who was in a movie, instead of brainstorming to find the solution they just check it online, I find that really frustrating. it spoils the fun! but maybe I'm just jelous because I'm not in the Iphone club. It makes me feel old and I'm only in my late 20s.

They probably couldn't even open the cash registers without the power being on. 

I was without an iphone when all around me had one.  I had one and loved it.  I hated being without it, but am used to it now, again.  My PC is shot, and if I lost the laptop, omg....

It makes sense and I've thought about this sometimes as I seem to be less eager to memorize things as I know that I'll always find that info again on the Internet. Hell, I forget my passwords now and again

lmaoooooooooooo!

My thoughts exactly!

I figure, I play poker most of the day. What I really don't need is to have a smart phone so I can play poker while I'm driving yo.