Lack of memory is usually something we attribute to older people. When they forget something, we laugh and say they experienced a “senior moment.” While it is true that memory skills can decline with age, young people may also lag in that area.
The same environmental conditions that make it difficult to focus also weaken memory skill. Messages and images are constantly flashed before our eyes—in magazines, on billboards, on television, and through the Internet. This constant shower of information makes it very difficult to concentrate and focus solidly. If the brain cannot focus properly on a given task or piece of information, it is unlikely to remember that thing well. Essentially, if the brain cannot easily decide what is worth remembering, much information will be lost.
Furthermore, our memory ability is rarely engaged in today’s world. Phone numbers are stored on speed dial, and facts are readily available on the Internet. There is little incentive to remember items that can be easily stored on technological gadgetry. To make up for this deficit, it is important to purposely challenge the memory to keep it sharp.