There are so many things we have to remember to do every day, that we often end up forgetting quite a few of them. One way to remember them is to use memory cues, which are objects or events that remind us of things that we need to do.
Ever since we've had things to remember, we've set reminders. Whether it's the ding of an app or a string tied around your finger, memory devices help offload our need to remember everything all the time. But there's a downside to all those reminders.
When the sum total of human knowledge rests an arm's length away in each person's pocket, why do we have to remember anything anymore? On an average day most of us check our smartphones 47 times, and nearly double that if we're between the ages of 18 and 24, which might explain why some of us have such a hard time processing the information we take in to form memories.
I've always been envious of people with exceptional memories. You know, the kind of people who amass encyclopedic knowledge with seemingly little effort, while we mere mortals struggle to remember the name of the person we were just introduced to. There's hope for all of us, though. Just...