One in two can't type and listen at the same time!
Study by Kaspersky Lab examines the phenomenon of digital amnesia in the work environment. According to the study, 52 percent of the employees surveyed in Germany admitted that when notes are recorded in digital form, much is lost that would be necessary for later understanding.
After all, if you type your thoughts into a mobile device, you can't really follow what's going on and become dependent on it.
What you have stored digitally, you no longer need to remember. - Due to the widespread use of mobile devices, the phenomenon of "digital amnesia" unfortunately presents itself not only in everyday life, but also in the work environment. Many employees overestimate their ability to multi-task, as a global survey commissioned by Kaspersky Lab shows.
After all, if you type your thoughts into a mobile device, you can't really follow what's happening and become dependent on it. From an information security perspective, companies would need to ensure that the devices used by employees are equally protected against theft, loss and cyber attacks.
Information loss
According to the Kaspersky study, 52 percent of employees surveyed in Germany admitted that when notes are recorded in digital form, much is lost that is necessary for later understanding:
Namely, the context, the feelings and references to the behavior with which the facts to be recorded were expressed - in the European average, by the way, this said somewhat less at 44 percent. Five percent of the Germans surveyed (6.8 percent across Europe) are even completely dependent on their digital notes during a meeting: With these, all memories of it were lost at the same time!
The study also shows that one in two respondents in Germany and Europe can no longer actively follow what is happening while typing their meeting notes. However, more than one in three (36 percent) German respondents (46 percent across Europe) insist that meticulously recorded facts are more important than, say, recording the mood that prevailed during a meeting.
In addition, one in two (51 percent) in Germany and two-thirds in Europe (67 percent) say that digital notes have the advantage over their own memories of being easier to store and pass on.
"Digital Amnesia"
"Human memory is limited. Those who only listen and rely on their memory should know that the transfer from short-term to long-term memory is a difficult process and depends on how well we already know the subject in question," explains Dr. Gorkan Ahmetoglu, a lecturer in industrial psychology at University College London.
"If a topic is new to us and we can't fully grasp it yet, we should record as much as possible so it can be recalled and internalized later. In the case of a familiar subject, however, the advantages of digital notes are less pronounced," continues Dr. Gorkan Ahmetoglu.
"Then we'd better dispense with a record and give full attention to the information presented and its circumstances to complete our picture."
Interaction
Relying entirely on digital memory is risky: the device used could be lost, stolen, or the data could fall victim to a cyberattack. "There is now a great deal of tolerance in companies for the use of digital devices in meetings," says Holger Suhl, General Manager DACH at Kaspersky Lab.
"Digital amnesia in the working world harbors risks. At the same time, however, it also shows us that the best results are only achieved through the interaction of man and machine. In this way, it is possible to hold on to both: the facts and the emotions that are important for their interpretation. For companies of all sizes and in all industries, protecting digital devices used as memory aids should be a priority."
The detailed Kaspersky report "Digital Amnesia at Work" can be here can be retrieved.
