We watch a lot.. so why do we forget quickly?

Content abundance confuses memory

In the past, watching series was tied to specific broadcast times, and the audience would wait for a new episode each week, giving events time to solidify in memory. Today, however, access to entire seasons of series and hundreds of films is available at the click of a button via streaming platforms, coinciding with the constant flow of short clips on social media.

With this massive amount of content, new experiences crowd together and details of works with similar characters or events overlap, making it more difficult to retrieve the story of each film or series.

People's abilities to remember also vary; some find it easy to recall faces and events, while others excel at remembering names or information they read. Therefore, forgetting artistic works is not necessarily linked to a memory problem.

Binge-watching does not mean a stronger memory

One of the most notable changes imposed by streaming platforms is the ability to watch an entire season in one sitting, known as binge-watching.

However, memory research indicates that spreading viewing over time may help retain information longer, a phenomenon known as the "spacing effect."

In a 2017 study conducted by the University of Melbourne, participants watched a 6-episode series in three ways: one episode per week, one episode per day, or all six episodes at once.

The results showed that the group that watched the entire series in one sitting achieved better results in an immediate memory test, but their ability to recall events declined more rapidly over time.

When researchers repeated the test about 140 days later, the two groups that watched the episodes daily or weekly proved superior in retaining the details.

These results clarify that the feeling of remembering a story well after finishing it does not necessarily mean its details will remain present months later, and that time intervals may give the brain a better chance to consolidate information.

The phone steals our attention from the screen

The problem does not stop at how much we watch, but extends to the way we watch it.

Using a phone while watching TV has become a common behavior; we check messages and notifications and browse social media while the film or series continues before us.

A study published in 2020 in the journal "Nature" points to a relationship between inattention and media multitasking on one hand, and performance in memory tests on the other.

The researchers relied on methods to measure brain activity and attention indicators, along with cognitive tests, to monitor the effect of distractibility on mental performance.

However, these results do not mean that using a phone inevitably leads to memory damage, but they demonstrate that attention is a fundamental factor in our ability to grasp and retain information.

The internet has changed the way we remember

Another factor explaining our declining interest in memorizing certain details is the ease of accessing information via the internet.

We no longer need to remember every name or piece of information as long as we can find it within seconds using search engines.

A study published in 2011 in the journal "Science" addressed this phenomenon and showed that when people expect they can access information in the future, they become less inclined to remember the information itself, but are more capable of remembering where they can find it.

In other words, our memory may tend to retain the source of information rather than its details, as long as retrieving it later is easy.

How do we remember films and series for a longer time?

There is no need to remember every detail of the works we watch; the primary purpose of entertainment is enjoyment and relaxation, not testing our mental abilities.

But if we want to retain events and characters for longer, some simple habits can be followed:

Spreading out viewing: Watching episodes over intervals rather than finishing a whole season in one night.

Reducing distractions: Putting away the phone and turning off notifications while following a film or series.

Recalling events: Trying to remember the most important things that happened in an episode after it ends, without immediately referring to summaries.

Discussing the work: Exchanging opinions and expectations with friends helps in recalling details and connecting events.

Good sleep: Getting enough sleep, due to its important role in consolidating memories.

In the end, it may not be that our memory has become weaker, but rather that our lives have become more crowded with information, scenes, and distractions. We watch more works than ever before, but we do not give each work enough time and attention to remain in our memory.