Mobile phones 'causing memory loss'

[Laro]

Millions of Brits are suffering with what's been dubbed 'numerical amnesia' because they're using mobile phones to store numbers rather than memorising them.

A study by life assistance company CPP claims that 23 million Britons don't know their partner's mobile number off by heart and 30 million can't recall their best friend's mobile number.

Yet 92 per cent of those surveyed said they did know their home landline number and 60 per cent knew that of their parents'.

The study put participants through an online memory test designed to assess an individuals' ability to recall sequences of numbers.
It found that four in five Brits can't remember a telephone number after only five seconds. CPP said that this has worrying implications in the event of an emergency.

Michael Lynch from CPP said: "Brits' inability to recall numbers of their nearest and dearest means that many could be in a very tricky and distressing situation if their phone is lost or stolen, if they have no idea how to contact someone for help.
"This shows us that mobiles have literally become people's lifelines," he continued.
Nearly two-thirds of those asked also said they were anxious about losing the numbers stored in their phones but less than half of them have backed up this data.

Four in 10 worry about losing their photos taken on their handset with a third worried about text messages being lost.

Psychologist Dr Glenn Wilson added: "As technology gets more sophisticated, our own memories are on the decline as we increasingly rely on information stored on phones and online."

"While this reliance can be problematic if people are totally dependent on an external memory store that is lost or becomes temporarily unavailable, it can also affect an individual's mental agility later in life. Like many other skills, memory needs exercising if the capacity is not to be lost," he continued.

Source: http://www.webuser.co.uk/news/top-stories/490967/mobile-phones-causing-memory-loss

Personally, I barely even use my mobile phone and I know my own and my mother's phone off by heart. But really, is it memory loss or just lazyness? What will the consequences of that will be?
Comments are welcomed, as always.

 

[Toshiya]

Personally, I find that I have a lot of mobile numbers on my phone. No way am I going to remember them all off by heart, or even just a few.
I know the landline numbers of myself and a few of my closest friends because they have the same first 5 digits and so I only actually have to remember 6 numbers. I know my own mobile number as well, but that's it.
Even before mobiles came out, people used phonebooks as a way of storing numbers. They didn't just remember them

 

[Ipsen]

I think it's being a bit blown out of proportion to be frank. I can see their point, but my phone number is like 12 digits if you include the international code. Admittedly mine is easier to remember than others but if you asked me to say what someone's mobile number was a random, I could probably tell you like...3 at best. House numbers though, I can give you the whole area code and number (more digits) and it wouldn't fuss me at all. I even remember my previous two home numbers.

I think it's because it's easier to just type in a number on speed dial. tell the phoen to "Call Mike" or just click that there name that we have no need to remember. I mean, be honest, who types in the whole mobile number of someone they are going to call? The only time I have done it is to enter it into my phone. Then I have it there just to look up their name and hit call or text...or whatever.

If I were so bad with numbers, I am sure I'd not be remembering everyones birthdays, as well as telephone numbers. I might just have a better memory than someone else, but I don't think it's really to do with going out of your way to remember - it's convenience. I don't think that that itself would cause a terrible memory loss though.

I am certain that there's a lot of people out there who find memorising numbers extremely difficult. In my family for example, my sister is totally shit with numbers in general, whereas I am quite good. However I am artistically retarded and she could draw anything you want from memory.

I think people are too dependant on technology, but I think it could be a lot worse than what they say. As far as the whole "losing pictures" and "backing up numbers" things go. Phones have so many applications these days such as camera's, blue tooth and so on that it's just quicker to take something on your phone. I am sure most put it onto a computer too though but would just like it on their phone the same way a photo of kids is liked in their wallets. And as for the backing up numbers, it's fucking stupidity in my eyes. If you can't remember an 11 digit number (no international code.) then how the fuck do they expect someone to lose a number then think "I know! I have it backed up somewhere!" they'd have no fucking clue where they backed it up if they aren't remembering the numbers, right? And for those who do back it up, there's a wonderful thing called a phonebook =/ I just store mine on Notepad on my computer or on my phone.

Like I said, I can tell you a few of my numbers, but how many times have I needed them? I've typed them in once. I might type in half the number then my phone knows who I am texting. But does it matter? I think remembering a logn digit number like that is much harder than remembering other things. I think I'll start to worry when I start going out without jeans on and what not. Not when someone asks me my cousins phone number etc.

 

[Big Casino]

But by having a phone we dont NEED to remember peoples numbers. Thats there in place. Off the top of my head i know 3 of my mates mobile numbers and all their house numbers. I can even remember my mate austins first ever mobile number.
But theres no way im gunna sit and try to memorise them all when its just a click in my address book.

 

[Dionysos]

I've personally never made an effort to learn my number, or anyone else’s number. If it is on my phone, and I would use my phone to contact them, then I don't need to remember the number.

I wouldn't call it amnesia, as I haven't made an attempt to learn such long numbers off by heart. I'm not contacted enough / don't contact people enough / am not important enough to need to memorise numbers.

If I was to lose my mobile and find myself in trouble then I'm sure that I could figure something out. I know my home phone number, and I know the number of my Dad's place of work (if it was during the day, and on a weekday), if I was desperate. If I was in real trouble then I could perhaps use a telephone box and ring someplace. If it is late, and there is no answer from any place that I could ring for help, then I'll have to head off to the nearest place that looks somewhat trustworthy and ask for help and advice on how to find the nearest taxi rank etc, or even the police station.

I don't think that having loads of numbers of friends and random people stored in my brain can really help me much when I never use my mobile at the best of times. People are hardly going to drive to wherever I may be and rescue me if I hadn't ever texted / called them until that time, and they hadn't texted / called me either. If I was ringing for help that also suggests that I have no idea where I am, or I am not anywhere near home, which means that I doubt anyone I ring can help me anyway, besides my parents (who would care). So while it could be argued that not memorising numbers could put me at a disadvantage during emergencies, in reality I wouldn’t be much better off as I’m not in a position to ring for help from anyone that can do anything.

 

[Bambi]

Millions of Brits are suffering with what's been dubbed 'numerical amnesia' because they're using mobile phones to store numbers rather than memorising them.

irrellevent. We don't NEED to memorise them, we never HAVE had too, before mobiles we wrote all ourt numbers down in address books anyway (I still do, just in case ) Plus, the numbers are longer now, and it was typically only the last 4 digits yuo needed to remember ANYway. Liek folk are gunna remember everyones mobile numbers

The ONLY number I have memorised, is my own.

A study by life assistance company CPP claims that 23 million Britons don't know their partner's mobile number off by heart and 30 million can't recall their best friend's mobile number.

My mum and Clare have had the same numbers since the dawn of time, know their land lines by heart, never learned the mobile numbers. Oh, going back to the last 4 digits thing, I make a point of trying to remember folks last 3 numbers just so I can identify a number if needs be for whatever reason

I know I've WISHED I've memorised their numbers when my battery has died, but tbh, it's never likely to happen, and I cant recal ever needing to ring either of them when my phones died anyway, last time i used a phone box was about 2 years ago - fuck knows when before that.

The study put participants through an online memory test designed to assess an individuals' ability to recall sequences of numbers.
It found that four in five Brits can't remember a telephone number after only five seconds. CPP said that this has worrying implications in the event of an emergency.

In case of emergency ring 999

Srsly though, I'd just ring someones landline. Or, you know, use my mobile.

Also, my memory has ALWAYS been terrible

Michael Lynch from CPP said: "Brits' inability to recall numbers of their nearest and dearest means that many could be in a very tricky and distressing situation if their phone is lost or stolen, if they have no idea how to contact someone for help.
"This shows us that mobiles have literally become people's lifelines," he continued.
Nearly two-thirds of those asked also said they were anxious about losing the numbers stored in their phones but less than half of them have backed up this data.

Land. and. Line

Also, I have mine backed up ...on paper

wouldnt you forget the numbers of the folk you dont ring/text all that often anyway? what a load of pish

 

[Exoskeleton]

Does this mean you Brit's have GF's stashed away somewheres? I want some

Anyways that's an interesting article but I don't buy it. It's depends on the person...Maybe they just got a batch of people who were confused in the survey or something. I remember mostly all of my numbers....But then again I'm not British

I honestly don't know what to say other than people need to stop blaming cellphones for stuff. My mummy says cellphones can also cause brain cancer...

 

[Dee]

While I do have my mom's cell, her house number and my two brother's set on speed dial, I do know all of their numbers by heart (and my own, of course). I just don't think it's necessary to type it all out when you can just hit one button instead of ten (which would be what ours is here in the states, area code + number). I think if people really took the time to memorize numbers, they could, but once the number is in the contact list, that's the end of it. Whether they're suffering from a condition called 'numerical amnesia' is left up for debate.

 

[DeadFantasy]

I dunno I just don't see what the big deal is sure we might not know it by heart but that's what mobile phones are for-- to store your contacts info ya know? I sure as hell ain't gunna try to memorize everyone in my phone book's number i just see no point.

I know quite a few by heart just because i do stay in contact with them a lot so as I click on my phone to call/text the number shows. But, there are a few that i don't know..

I know my dad's number, his girlfriend's number and their house by heart but, it's just because I just see the numbers often. I mean like Dee said, why type in 10 digits when you can click their name and boom! There it is.

I know my number We don't have a home phone but still I do know my cell xD.

 

[Channizard]

I don't have a mobile.. nor do I have enough friends to warrant having one.

When I did though when I was traveling it was mostly my lifeline to home and for booty calls ofc. I'm horrible at memorization unless I spend a lot of time of my day saying the numbers repeatedly. Like at my old job, I could remember a lot of the prices for food off the top of my head, but mobile numbers, pfft.. In what instance are you going to be in to know every single person's number off the top of your head?

 

[bearsfwd]

I don't think it's a case of memory loss, just a case of never committing them to memory. Which as people have stated is not necessary. Today, people have so many friends that having to remember that many numbers would be murder. I personally have important numbers memorized.

It's good to have the numbers stored on your phone though in case of emergency! Imagine getting in a car wreck, getting a major concussion and go unconscious, therefore emergency services have no clue who they could call to inform them due to it all being stored in your brain, and then later you realize you don't remember ANY phone numbers. At least being stored in your phone, you could look and be like "Oh yeah! That's the number. I forgot! Time to call mom and tell her I'm alive!"

Extreme case, I know, probably a little exaggerated. But if that happened...