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.