Turn on, tune in and lose out
By Hayley Birch
Ever thought your car was stolen because you'd forgotten where you'd parked it? Misremembered the name of your friend's partner Ben as Bernard when introducing them? How about painstakingly going through every item in your kitchen cupboard to produce the world's most comprehensive shopping list and then arriving at the grocery section to find you've left it on the table? Well… was I trying to make a point here? Ah yes, if you have ever suffered from memory loss, it could be because you're spending too much time in front of the telly.
According to an Australian survey of nearly 30,000 people, conducted online at www.nationalmemorytest.net.au, couch potatoes are less likely to recall simple pieces of information, such as names or items on a shopping list. People who watched less than an hour of TV a day performed better across the board, including in long-term recall tests. Those recently collecting poor exam results will, no doubt, be quick to acknowledge the negative effects of five hours of viewing a night on memorising the difference between meiosis and mitosis.
Although the statistical robustness of the results awaits further analysis, the findings seem fairly intuitive. The test also looked at the effects of other variables on memory, including levels of alcohol consumption (heavier drinkers fared less well) and whether test takers went to quiz nights. Fairly unsurprisingly then, you may stand more of a chance of winning the pub quiz if you stay sober.
MORE STATISTICS OF THE FAIRLY FLIPPIN' USELESS VARIETY:
- Marijuana smokers failed to recall as many items on a shopping list as non-smokers.
- Those who drank tea and coffee were better at remembering people's occupations.
- People who kept a diary were better at remembering names.
To read more about Hayley or to view more of her articles click here
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