You can make all the same arguements about the invention of paper and books.
> So what happens when we outsource part of our memory to an external device?
You mean like a paper notepad, paper calendar, paper daily planner?
> Does it enable us to squeeze more and more out of life, because we aren’t as reliant on our fallible brains to cue things up for us? Are we so reliant on smartphones that they will ultimately change how our memories work
Yea, I used to have a little black book (that was a thing) and I wrote down people's addresses and phone numbers instead of memorizing them.
Even with smartphones it's still super popular in Japan to use paper daily planners. You don't memorize all your activities, you write them down. Been happening for centuries
> So what happens when we outsource part of our memory to an external device?
You mean like a paper notepad, paper calendar, paper daily planner?
> Does it enable us to squeeze more and more out of life, because we aren’t as reliant on our fallible brains to cue things up for us? Are we so reliant on smartphones that they will ultimately change how our memories work
Yea, I used to have a little black book (that was a thing) and I wrote down people's addresses and phone numbers instead of memorizing them.
Even with smartphones it's still super popular in Japan to use paper daily planners. You don't memorize all your activities, you write them down. Been happening for centuries