For Mobile phone users only, esp. UK

[mike777]

"As many as a third of those surveyed under the age of 30 were unable to recall their home telephone number without resorting to their mobile phones or to notes.

 

When it came to remembering important dates such as the birthdays of close family relatives, 87 per cent of those over the age of 50 could remember the details, compared with 40 per cent of those under the age of 30.

 

Men came off worse than women. Only 55 per cent of men could remember their wedding anniversary, compared to 90 per cent of women."

 

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml...3/nbrain113.xml

[mycroft]

In the spirit of Albert Einstein and Sherlock Holmes, why does this matter?

 

There's a lot I don't know about the job that I do (there are those who say the same thing about me when it comes to being a TD. They may be right). But it doesn't matter, because I know how to find the information when I need it.

 

So I can't remember my postcode without my PDA? Who cares? I always *have* my PDA. And every day, I look up my "things you might have forgotten" that PDA very helpfully remembers for me.

 

I can't remember my home phone number without my mobile? Again, who cares? I either call "HOME" from my cell phone, or I pull it out, get the number, and dial from a landline/tell the person who needs to call me later.

 

OTOH, memorization is a skill, and it is a skill that is less common in the young (here I mean by bridge player standards - I'm almost 40, and I am on the end of the curve here) than the older. Why? Because it hasn't been taught in schools for 40 years. Why? Because There's Too Much Stuff To Memorize, and reference tools have been getting much better. And How To Look Stuff Up is a much more useful skill to learn (unless you're courting and want to quote beautiful love poems).

 

That's why I hate closed-book exams - especially in practical exams. If I'm going to have my reference books at my desk in the Real World, why test a skill I don't need? If I'm not going to have access, of course (Paramedic comes to mind), that's different.

 

Michael.

[Guest Jlall]

I've often wondered what I would do if I went to jail, I literally don't know anyones number. Would they get my cell phone for me and get my parents number? I doubt they're so nice in jail :)

[han]

Just send them an email, I assume that most jails have wireless.

[helene_t]

I can't remember anything and I don't know how to use a mobile phone either. I guess I was born too early.

[paulg]

My wife's aunts, aged 85 and 87, were staying with us last week. They were recalling all their primary school teachers, names and birthdays of their children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, cousins, second cousins, etc ... it was just amazing.

 

Of course they had no idea what their home phone numbers were. Just checked their mobiles.

 

Paul

[BebopKid]

My work place seems these days to favor people with analytical or problem-solving skills over people who memorize things.

 

My best friend can tell you the leader of any country in the world. Is he smart for this or just a geek?

 

BTW, I use him as reference material often because of this.

 

Every skill comes in handy for something. Unique people make for unique and wonderful experiences.