Experts urge thoughtful use of smart devices for more authentic memories

Ljubljana, 18 December - Smartphones and social media have changed the way we store memories, which have become more superficial. The key to more authentic memories is to use technology more thoughtfully, take fewer photos and go back to printing photos and writing diaries, agreed a panel discussion organised as part of the STAScience project on Tuesday.

Ljubljana, prostor Edvard.
Okrogla miza Od družinskih albumov do algoritmov: Praznični spomini v digitalni dobi v organizaciji portala STAznanost.
Kulturologinja Natalija Majsova.
Foto: Bor Slana/STA

Ljubljana, prostor Edvard.
Okrogla miza Od družinskih albumov do algoritmov: Praznični spomini v digitalni dobi v organizaciji portala STAznanost.
Moderatorka Lea Udovč.
Foto: Bor Slana/STA

Ljubljana, prostor Edvard.
Okrogla miza Od družinskih albumov do algoritmov: Praznični spomini v digitalni dobi v organizaciji portala STAznanost.
Kognitivni nevroznanstvenih Grega Repovš.
Foto: Bor Slana/STA

Ljubljana, prostor Edvard.
Okrogla miza Od družinskih albumov do algoritmov: Praznični spomini v digitalni dobi v organizaciji portala STAznanost.
Foto: Bor Slana/STA

Ljubljana
A panel discussion moderated by STA journalist Lea Udovč, featuring cognitive neuroscientist Grega Repovš, cultural studies expert Natalija Majsova, psychologist Hana Hawlina and anthropologist Dan Podjed.
Photo: Bor Slana/STA

Ljubljana, prostor Edvard.
Okrogla miza Od družinskih albumov do algoritmov: Praznični spomini v digitalni dobi v organizaciji portala STAznanost.
Antropolog Dan Podjed.
Foto: Bor Slana/STA

Ljubljana, prostor Edvard.
Okrogla miza Od družinskih albumov do algoritmov: Praznični spomini v digitalni dobi v organizaciji portala STAznanost.
Socialna in kulturna psihologinja Hana Hawlina.
Foto: Bor Slana/STA

Ljubljana, prostor Edvard.
Okrogla miza Od družinskih albumov do algoritmov: Praznični spomini v digitalni dobi v organizaciji portala STAznanost.
Foto: Bor Slana/STA

Ljubljana, prostor Edvard.
Okrogla miza Od družinskih albumov do algoritmov: Praznični spomini v digitalni dobi v organizaciji portala STAznanost.
Moderatorka Lea Udovč.
Foto: Bor Slana/STA

Ljubljana, prostor Edvard.
Okrogla miza Od družinskih albumov do algoritmov: Praznični spomini v digitalni dobi v organizaciji portala STAznanost.
Foto: Bor Slana/STA

Ljubljana, prostor Edvard.
Okrogla miza Od družinskih albumov do algoritmov: Praznični spomini v digitalni dobi v organizaciji portala STAznanost.
Moderatorka Lea Udovč.
Foto: Bor Slana/STA

Ljubljana, prostor Edvard.
Okrogla miza Od družinskih albumov do algoritmov: Praznični spomini v digitalni dobi v organizaciji portala STAznanost.
Foto: Bor Slana/STA

Ljubljana, prostor Edvard.
Okrogla miza Od družinskih albumov do algoritmov: Praznični spomini v digitalni dobi v organizaciji portala STAznanost.
Antropolog Dan Podjed.
Foto: Bor Slana/STA

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"Nowadays we take a lot more photos with our smartphones, but often in a superficial way, which can lead to memories that are less profound," cognitive neuroscientist Grega Repovš from the Faculty of Arts said at the discussion From Family Albums to Algorithms: Memories of Holidays in the Digital.

Anthropologist Dan Podjed from the ZRC SAZU and the Faculty of Arts highlighted the gap between how we present ourselves on social media and how we really are.

"We choose only the best images to share, often with a few filters to enhance them, which creates an idealised image of ourselves that's not always in line with reality."

He also finds it problematic that memories have been transferred to digital clouds, which are owned by foreign companies such as Amazon and Meta.

"These companies effectively own and manage our memories. If they ever go bankrupt, the question is who will own our photos on digital platforms. We may even have to pay for them."

Quality should thus be given priority over quantity, so people should start becoming aware of the value of physical photos, now and then printing one and putting it on the wall.

Podjed's view was shared by social and cultural psychologist Hana Hawlina from the Institute of Criminology at the Faculty of Law.

She believes digital environments overwhelm us with visual and auditory stimuli alone, bot appealing to the other senses, which often leads to superficial perception.

It is thus important to seek out new and varied experiences that are truly memorable, as overexposure to irrelevant content distances us from authentic experiences.

A slightly more optimistic view was presented by cultural studies expert Natalija Majsova from the Faculty of Social Sciences.

She said that despite the new challenges, digital technologies are expanding the field of creative expression and enabling diverse forms of how we remember events.

She believes this encourages people to reflect on aesthetics, subjectivity and the evaluation of their visual culture.

The panellists also agreed that digital archives such as Instagram and Facebook profiles, are likely to become part of our future heritage.