How many phone numbers do you know by heart? Can you recite your parents’ numbers or your best friend’s number? How many different phone numbers come to mind if you need to call in an emergency?
According to a survey recently completed by WhistleOut, a consumer-focused website, we no longer have many phone numbers memorized. Eighty percent of respondents knew only a few tricks by heart, WhistleOut said.
Smartphones are the biggest reason for this situation. According to data from consumer research firm Statista, 1.43 billion smartphones were sold worldwide last year. Our dependence on mobile devices reduces our ability to retain important information. A Panda Security survey in 2020 calls this “Digital Amnesia (Forgetfulness)” where technology addiction affects an individual’s ability to remember.
The WhistleOut survey shows that approximately one in ten people do not even remember their own number, sixteen percent do not memorize their parents’ numbers, seventeen percent do not memorize their partner’s number, and forty-nine percent memorize only 2-5 phone numbers from their contacts list.