Techies struggle to remember own home phone numbers

The era of cellphone-based mass memory means many can't even remember their own landline number.

LONDON - Can't remember life before mobiles? Chances are you'll also struggle to recall your home phone number and family birthdays.

According to a new survey, the boom in mobiles and portable devices that store reams of personal information has created a generation incapable of memorising simple things.

A quarter of those polled said they couldn't remember their landline number, while two-thirds couldn't recall the birthdays of more than three friends or family members.

The tech-savvy young fared worse than older people. The under-30s could remember fewer birthdays and numbers than the over-50s, according to the survey.

Two-thirds said they relied on their phone or electronic organiser to remember key dates.

"People have more to remember these days and they are relying on technology more for their memory," said Ian Robertson, professor of psychology at Trinity College, Dublin.

Researchers polled 3,000 people over the last two weeks in the survey for Puzzler Brain Trainer magazine.

- REUTERS