Uh, Do You Have Digital Dementia? A Memory Coach Explains

Quick question: How many phone numbers did you know by heart growing up? I personally have a mental rolodex of childhood friends’ landline numbers, the majority of which have since been disconnected. Now, how many phone numbers have you currently memorized? Chances are the amount of digits has significantly decreased. 

“Digital dementia is this idea where our smart devices are making us less smart,” he explains on the mindbodygreen podcast. “They act as external memory drives for us, so we don't need to flex our memory muscles.” 

Think of the aforementioned phone number example: Now that our smartphones have the ability to save contacts, we don’t have to worry about memorizing people’s numbers—so we don’t. This, in a way, makes us more dependent on these devices. “You could be texting or calling somebody every single day,” says Kwik, but what if your phone had no battery or you didn't have it on you? You’d be helpless! 

That’s not to say you must memorize your entire contact list. “But it should be concerning to us that we've lost the ability to remember one [number], or a pin, or a passcode, or a seed phrase,” adds Kwik. 

“When it comes to our memory, it's important that we have purpose in remembering something,” says Kwik. Meaning, you tend to remember how you feel about something rather than the information itself. 

What you eat matters for your brain. Take it from Kwik: "Your brain is only 2% of your body mass, but it requires 20% of the nutrients," he explains.

And the right nutrients can support your cognitive function, neurological well-being, and brain longevity in a number of ways. Namely, some nutrients, botanicals, and bioactives show clinical significance for memory1, recall, and related brain outcomes (e.g., learning, processing, retention, and cognitive performance). 

"As your body moves, your brain grows," says Kwik. It's true: Aerobic exercise has been shown to generate new neurons in the hippocampus2, or the region of the brain associated with memory, learning, and emotions.