What Effect Does GPS Reliance Have on Our Spatial Memory?

💡 The Answer

• Frequent GPS use reduces activity in the hippocampus during navigation, weakening mental maps.
• People who use GPS more heavily have poorer landmark memory and route knowledge.
• Over‑reliance may lead to atrophy of spatial neural networks over time.
• Turning off GPS and actively navigating strengthens cognitive mapping and wayfinding skills.