How is your memory, these days?

whirlpool

TL;DR version: My memory's ****ed. How's yours?

I'm only in my late-20s but my memory seems to be shocking these days. I believe it's because I spend so much time on the internet / smartphone and I'm seeing so much nonsense and trivial information on an ongoing basis that my brain is just overloaded with information. I believe this is probably a common situation these days and is also a recent thing due to the massive expansion of the information highway in our daily lives.

This morning a song came on the radio and it is a song from an album that I have listened to a good few times over the past couple of months - yet, I could not recall the artist. I knew I knew who it was, but I just couldn't recall who it was... if that makes any sense! It was driving me mad so I had to Shazam it to find out who it was and yep, it was a song I have played numerous times over the past while!

Also, often these days I'll be mid-sentence and I will literally stop because I have forgotten what I was talking about, and I'll have to think long and hard to remember what it was I was saying.

The only reason I don't believe there's anything medically wrong with me is because I do feel that the amount of (generally useless) information we subject ourselves to on a daily basis is absolutely massive and ridiculous. Well, I can only speak for myself I suppose but I think it's probably the general public. Add to that that I've always been a bit of a spacer at the best of times and it's a recipe for Zero Memory.

How is your memory these days? Having any problems like me?

solomafioso

Myep.

colincork

Em.. I suppose at the moment it's .... Sorry what was the question again?

The Pheasant2

I think it's called "The Google effect" - where your brain doesn't bother storing info that's easily available online

Never had a great memory but for work I compensate by writing a lot down.

Birneybau

I can't remember...

jimgoose

I remember all kinds of ridiculous crap, but some mornings I can't seem to tie my shoelaces. Ah well...

Wossack

I feel like mines been going to shite for ages now, but ironically, cant remember when it started. I think its leveling out, but thats probably a bad thing (implying I cant remember when it was actually any good)

Merkin

I'm 33 weeks pregnant and have quite a severe case of baby brain. I wasn't actually sure it existed until I got pregnant and I now really have it in earnest. Mr. Merkin said it's like living with a dementia patient as I have a propensity for repeating things, asking him to repeat things and generally leaving things in wrong places or forgetting them entirely these days.

ongarboy

They've said that people (particularly children's) attention spans are not what they were due to the overwhelming and rapidly changing choice of information that is put in front of them (through online/tablets/smartphones etc) combined with the whole instant gratification effect. I wonder if this is affecting people's ability to absorb and retain.

I also wonder am I in the early stages of Alzheimers as sometimes it feels as if I feel I can't remember certain basic or expected things that happened recently. It's like dramas or films I watched this week (barely can recall them) but can distinctly remember what happened in episodes of Home and Away 25 years ago :rolleyes:. I find also I seem to be more prone to spending hours doing mindless, chaotic, wasteful browsing of the net. I never read books from end to end anymore as the task seems too laborious yet I used to love reading.

I'd love to discipline myself to switch off from online even for 1 month to see what positive effect if any it would achieve but I know I wouldn't be able to last it!

bnt

My memory is like an Argos store: I put in my order, nothing happens for several minutes, then the item I ordered arrives at the "front desk".

Vito Corleone

My memory is pretty good and I rarely forget things.

pundy

just coast through life and everything will work out. you dont need to remember things really. unless you get embarrassed by what people think of you.

Chancer3001

Mine is a disgrace. It's gone altogether.

Spent 9 weeks in Miami a few summers ago. Friend of mine asked me for advice on what to do. Couldn't remember anything.

Vito Corleone

My memory is pretty good and I rarely forget things. .

gugleguy

easy come - easy go culture, the age of consumer goods. programming languages: Although I was quite proficient in Visual Basic about 1997 or so, this has been largely forgotten. I would find it hard to use a Video Recorder now. Also, when did you last play a Blu Ray DVD, as opposed to a first generation DVD.

Alf. A. Male

You know what they is the best thing about having Alzheimer's, you make new friends every day.

shrewd

The Pheasant2 wrote: »

I think it's called "The Google effect" - where your brain doesn't bother storing info that's easily available online

Google effect, LOL. That's good. :pac:

Was interviewing a candidate recently and we put to him that we are quite shocked that he doesn't know most of the basic stuff and wonder how he got on in his old job (senior position).

His answer, "i just google them"

beano345

A lot better since I gave up the booze,was shocking before that

Duggy747

Take out the phone to check time.

Checks time

Instantly forget what time it is.

Mr. CooL ICE

As I have read the majority of what is on wikipedia, I remember lots of pretty vague details which are completely misleading by themselves. When a friend mentioned he didn't know much of what happened in the Vietnam war, I was about to explain the backstory but all I could say was that it was the French's fault.

--LOS--

****ed Not coz of the reasons you say though I don't think

Irish Guitarist

Memory loss starts to happen at a surprisingly young age. Your brain starts to shrink at age 20. At age 27 your memory starts to diminish. By age 40 you lose 10,000 brain cells a day.

This was on an episode of Horizon. The only reason I remember it is because I have it on my computer.

I'm 38 and my memory isn't what it used to be. For instance I once started telling someone I had bought something but I couldn't remember the name of the shop I had bought it in. It was Argos and I kept getting it mixed up with Aldi. I also forget a lot of interesting facts about music and musicians. Years ago if you asked me when Jimi Hendrix was born I could have given you the exact date but not anymore.

Maximus Alexander

I suspect you have some sort of degenerative brain disease OP. I would suggest that you go to the doctor, but it's probably too late and you'd only forget anyway.

Daveysil15

I've always had a great memory. I remember facts and pieces of information easily. Put a maths book in front of me however and I may as well be looking at hieroglyphics.

Chancer3001

Doctor : sir you've got Alzheimer's ...

Man : oh no. That's awful news.

Doctor : I'm afraid it gets worse. You've also got cancer.

Man: hmmm, well at least I don't have Alzheimer's

19543261

whirlpool wrote: »

TL;DR version: My memory's ****ed. How's yours?

I'm only in my late-20s but my memory seems to be shocking these days. I believe it's because I spend so much time on the internet / smartphone and I'm seeing so much nonsense and trivial information on an ongoing basis that my brain is just overloaded with information. I believe this is probably a common situation these days and is also a recent thing due to the massive expansion of the information highway in our daily lives.

This morning a song came on the radio and it is a song from an album that I have listened to a good few times over the past couple of months - yet, I could not recall the artist. I knew I knew who it was, but I just couldn't recall who it was... if that makes any sense! It was driving me mad so I had to Shazam it to find out who it was and yep, it was a song I have played numerous times over the past while!

Also, often these days I'll be mid-sentence and I will literally stop because I have forgotten what I was talking about, and I'll have to think long and hard to remember what it was I was saying.

The only reason I don't believe there's anything medically wrong with me is because I do feel that the amount of (generally useless) information we subject ourselves to on a daily basis is absolutely massive and ridiculous. Well, I can only speak for myself I suppose but I think it's probably the general public. Add to that that I've always been a bit of a spacer at the best of times and it's a recipe for Zero Memory.

How is your memory these days? Having any problems like me?

how did you get all the way through that without going off on a tangent about bread

Baron Kurtz

Folks just can't stay off the sauce. Destroys the mindtank.

cactuspaw

Are those my feet?

lila1

I have a neurological illness and the last time I went for a check up they did a memory test. One of the questions was Name as many things as you can that you would buy in a supermarket you have one minute starting now. Well I got about 8 things and my mind just went blank. I just could not think but other than that my memory is fine I think.

Lou.m

whirlpool wrote: »

TL;DR version: My memory's ****ed. How's yours?

I'm only in my late-20s but my memory seems to be shocking these days. I believe it's because I spend so much time on the internet / smartphone and I'm seeing so much nonsense and trivial information on an ongoing basis that my brain is just overloaded with information. I believe this is probably a common situation these days and is also a recent thing due to the massive expansion of the information highway in our daily lives.

This morning a song came on the radio and it is a song from an album that I have listened to a good few times over the past couple of months - yet, I could not recall the artist. I knew I knew who it was, but I just couldn't recall who it was... if that makes any sense! It was driving me mad so I had to Shazam it to find out who it was and yep, it was a song I have played numerous times over the past while!

Also, often these days I'll be mid-sentence and I will literally stop because I have forgotten what I was talking about, and I'll have to think long and hard to remember what it was I was saying.

The only reason I don't believe there's anything medically wrong with me is because I do feel that the amount of (generally useless) information we subject ourselves to on a daily basis is absolutely massive and ridiculous. Well, I can only speak for myself I suppose but I think it's probably the general public. Add to that that I've always been a bit of a spacer at the best of times and it's a recipe for Zero Memory.

How is your memory these days? Having any problems like me?

I have an amazing memory.

But for ages I had bad spacial awareness recollection. By which I mean I had issues remembering even the simplest directions from one place to another. It was REALLY bad.

To the extent of being embarrassing. I could not have directed someone to my own house!

I did some exercises though for it and I am quite good now.

Today I was on a mission for collect a bike from a repair guy in whitechurch.

I cycled it up to the north circular road for them and I can remember the way I can remember some of the people I saw and what they were wearing. I remember the color of many of the cars beside me while I was in the cycle lane. I remember the pain in my ****ing quads and arse as I passed the village on that murderous hill that seems so flat in a car or on foot. I remember passing the Asian shops which signaled I was nearly there.

I remember knocking on the door so his housemate could take the bike in. Then walking up to Kelly's corner to get the bus back. I looked at my phone to check the time.

I remember a lot of the people who passed me. I popped in the polish shop on the way there. Two of the staff were flirting .....I got in on that ....:p I said 'they have the best looking staff here'...yup still got it! :cool: Slickity slick! uh huh..;) There was a blonde female staff member she was eastern European and an Asian male staff member. He walked me out the door. I crossed over to the bus stop and endured the brain dead task of ...waiting for the bus....:mad: I hate waiting for the bus.

My Bus came ... it's a gorgeous day ..which on a bus means ....B O ....yup there were was an odor....

I can remember walking home ...getting into my house and starting work ( I work form home)..I can remember written info easily I can remember how to play tunes on the violin from years ago...

Not great with peoples names...

I will forget to do things ...or I will do hem in a scattered way.

Memory is not as simple as people thing...there is short term middle term and long term...cognition ..remembering how to do something...visual ..aural ..verbal...senses etc. Memories of ideas and theories.

Memories of ideas and theories I think are the easiest.

I remember conversations very well. But if you tell me to DO something ...I can very well forget. But when prompted I will then remember the exact conversation word for word better than you can.

Can you remember what Beer tastes like OP? What yellow looks like? Well then that is part of memory branch out from there ...use it or lose it.


I just had an online convo with a friend about an hr ago...I could remember most of that now...

Some people can train their memories ...it's very interesting to me.


My dad did a course in psychology and I learned that people remember the order in which a list of the names of colours come in a list if the words are written in the corresponding colour.

Yellow

Blue

Purple.

Is easier to remember than

Yellow

Blue

Purple.

Sir Arthur Daley

A1