Information overload: Multitasking, technology causing more Americans to become forgetful
Information overload:
Multitasking, technology causing more Americans to become forgetful
by Chris Melore July 13,
2020
NEW YORK — It’s happened
to everyone, you’re busy with so many things you end up forgetting it’s your
friend’s birthday. It may sound like a simple slip-up, but more Americans are
saying their jam-packed schedules are making them more forgetful. A
recent survey finds many are blaming technology and the constant need to
multitask for their scatterbrained state of mind.
A poll of 2,000 Americans
over the age of 35 finds 61 percent have trouble remembering things when they multitask.
Over half of the respondents admit they are constantly multitasking.
Researchers, commissioned
by Natrol, say technology may help many people organize their
daily lives, but it often just adds to the information overload. Sixty-five
percent of the survey believes all the information in their devices is
overwhelming.
“While technology has made
people’s lives more convenient and accessible, it has also overloaded them with never-ending to-do lists
to manage and keep track of,” says Natrol’s Harel Shapira in a
statement. “Technology and continuous multitasking impacts our brains, it
clogs them and affects people’s short-term memory.”
Memory mishaps
Some things are just more
memorable than others, and it seems our passwords are the hardest things to
keep track of. The OnePoll survey
finds computer passwords and items on the grocery list are the most common
things people forget.
Tying for the second-biggest
forgetful moments, 49 percent of Americans say they commonly misplace their
keys and forget why they entered a room.
Forgetting someone’s name (47%), forgetting what day it is (35%),
and forgetting their own PIN numbers (29%) are also on the list of biggest
memory lapses.
A foggy memory can be embarrassing
Losing track of important
information can be inconvenient, but it can also be very embarrassing for some
people. A third of the survey believes forgetting someone’s name is the most
embarrassing blunder they can make.
Failing to remember a
significant other’s birthday finished second with 22 percent saying it was
embarrassing. That gaffe finished just above forgetting an anniversary
(21%). On average, American adults draw a complete blank six times a week,
adding up to over 300 forgetful moments each year.
“Our daily lives have become
more unfocused, busy and chaotic than ever before. With so much on our minds,
we need solutions to keep us on track and manage all the moving parts,” Dr.
Mike Dow adds.
Multitasking mayhem: Keep
track of all the chaos
So how are you supposed to
keep track of all these things when you’re constantly on the go?
Despite adding to the clutter
of information, the poll finds technology is still the best answer for most
Americans. Two-thirds of respondents say they use their cell phone to help
remember things. Out of that group, nearly 80 percent admit they’d be lost
without their phone keeping track of their day.
For some, the answer is
retraining the brain to stay sharp. Over 40 percent of Americans say they are
using products, including nutritional supplements, which focus on improving
memory.
Comments
Post a Comment