We live in a digitally mediated world. The vast development of the Internet technology and social media has profoundly changed the way individuals receive, retain, and share information. More than ever, memory is extended, externalized, and transactive in the digital age. The explosion in information transmission, the infinite capacity of information storage in cyberspace, and the transformation of individuals from passive information consumers to active information creators have critical implications for memory representation, expression, and socialization. This special issue of Memory aims at bringing together a collection of empirical studies that represent the emerging research on the impact of the Internet and social media on the purposes, processes, and consequences of remembering. Collectively, the studies will inform and extend current theoretical understanding of memory. In the meantime, they will raise new questions that motivate further research to understand the mnemonic consequences of the Internet and social media as a unique technological and cultural tool of our time. Relevant research related to the current Coronavirus pandemic is welcome.
