Aging

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Learn how memory changes with age — and how to strengthen it

<p></p><div class="media media-element-container media-default media-wysiwyg-align-center"><div id="file-13976" class="file file-image file-image-jpeg">

        <h2 class="element-invisible"><a href="/file/aging">Aging</a></h2>
    
  
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    <img class="media-element file-default" data-delta="1" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://cueback-com.storage.googleapis.com/cueback/blog_editor_media/face-1987212_640.jpg?GoogleAccessId=298180869348-compute@developer.gserviceaccount.com&amp;Expires=1751136861&amp;Signature=IhOGOPdPkldq9LLrfhdpM%2F1QDur1RNs90bhtqDBYfdkHMqzqgJU5S2DlPYNHm28u5vqdwAaSx%2BKpUEznWjin5Pwsn65IDDP9MkBcWGwizOTJmqXaTfUnXPZyEPMk0LdFlzdx1uou4n11feDVgH7hkyeopZql68h%2FQ41AzPOlzhzyPPfsFX3dIa98NiEjYW2U2mJUvqfSQf5%2F%2BpqSmUNrYi9DZgY7iwqu%2BAWuqhHJDe%2FUsa1qGNCOlxj%2BBK%2F8Ot4BoE%2Fo6IEsXfztbOe2NuG98zkINVl4aNH2Vz6Kjdz1kCIeeEMI9QwqRVF1i5OliJmEoxsU938at91%2BHoAb%2F%2BRBEQ%3D%3D" width="640" height="273" alt="Memory retention aging" />  </div>

  
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<p><b id="docs-internal-guid-3684eb63-7fff-2f1b-efb7-289022226df4">You likely have heard that memory fades as you get older. But how much of that is accurate, and how much is an illusion? Every year you get older, it feels like you go further down a path of irreversible oblivion, like Alice falling down a rabbit hole of foggy forgetfulness.</b></p>
<p><b id="docs-internal-guid-3684eb63-7fff-2f1b-efb7-289022226df4">You may be more in control of your memory than you think. Though the aging brain's biology certainly affects older adults' memory retention, new research suggests that the issue may not be so straightforward. A significant component of diminished memory retention in older people has nothing to do with the brain itself—it has to do with stereotypes.</b></p>
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        <h2 class="element-invisible"><a href="/file/sense-self-0">Sense of self</a></h2>
    
  
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<h1 dir="ltr"><b id="docs-internal-guid-6fe11bc1-7fff-528e-fe84-91eacebbefa8">How Ageism Affects Memory Retention</b></h1>
<p><b id="docs-internal-guid-6fe11bc1-7fff-528e-fe84-91eacebbefa8">Think about it—how often have you been exposed to the idea that older people are forgetful? Modern culture has long embraced tropes of an older woman haplessly misplacing her glasses or an older gentleman constantly mixing up his grandkids' names.</b></p>
<p><b id="docs-internal-guid-6fe11bc1-7fff-528e-fe84-91eacebbefa8">The media has milked the “<a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ScatterbrainedSenior" title="aging">Scatterbrained Senior</a>” stereotype so much that it now has its listing on <a href="https://tvtropes.org/" title="aging">TV Tropes</a>. Though these stereotypes are not intentionally malicious, they have a significant subliminal impact on our relationship with aging.</b></p>
<p><b id="docs-internal-guid-6fe11bc1-7fff-528e-fe84-91eacebbefa8">Unfortunately, such stereotypes are a self-fulfilling prophecy. A group of researchers at the <a href="https://gero.usc.edu/" title="aging">USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology</a> separated older adults into two groups before asking them to complete a memory task. One group received negative information about aging, reinforcing the traditional belief that age significantly affects memory retention. The others still need to receive such information. In the end, the group primed with negative information <a href="https://news.usc.edu/52707/aging-stereotypes-can-hurt-older-adults-memory/" title="aging">performed much worse</a> on a recall task than those not exposed to negative stereotypes. </b></p>
<p dir="ltr"><b id="docs-internal-guid-6fe11bc1-7fff-528e-fe84-91eacebbefa8"> </b></p><div class="media media-element-container media-default media-wysiwyg-align-center"><div id="file-18681" class="file file-image file-image-jpeg">

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    <img class="media-element file-default" data-delta="4" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://cueback-com.storage.googleapis.com/cueback/blog_editor_media/resized-image-Promo%20%2899%29.jpeg?GoogleAccessId=298180869348-compute@developer.gserviceaccount.com&amp;Expires=1751136861&amp;Signature=oysV4tULYlWDCQQNdAsaPU4LAc08ODhq66wGHwd1%2Bu14l3m4mCAfnEIQ0HusJGvpZ0rvlT15gYGzU8uM6X1L%2BTzT47QCqlJt%2B1tJ2D139pWdQk6pYTpxqIRyAKbIKd545cCdurYHPTC%2FvIviKZs0FeQAqKb6jAMXG6rqZuWSdh%2BpnSVqdh21HCOKyuSwTrgZ1EwlbZI3OyMT%2F1om%2BUeDV2GDnviabYM1H77dwWxuR6SIyXiBI5tftkmYi%2FlgHqRGX2OAJcVHHU%2Fo0ZmLP7M9%2Fo11qXJmFseb3q9fUHsSjkhOff%2ByCLoiAIk6qVNP5oBljvOKN5Ok8LyA%2FUCJjZniGA%3D%3D" alt="Grandparents with their grandchildren" />  </div>

  
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<h1 dir="ltr"><b id="docs-internal-guid-61946395-7fff-d56f-0ffb-cfa363a1adeb">The Fatal Threat of Stereotype</b></h1>
<p><b id="docs-internal-guid-61946395-7fff-d56f-0ffb-cfa363a1adeb">These results make sense if we put them in the greater context of <a href="https://diversity.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/stereotype_threat_overview.pdf" title="aging">stereotype threat.</a> This process has a detrimental effect on <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3642236/pdf/nihms454759.pdf" title="aging">racial minorities</a>, <a href="http://gribouts.free.fr/psycho/menace%20du%20st%E9r%E9o/multiples%20identites-gresky%20et%20al.pdf" title="aging">women</a>, and people from <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11218-005-5456-6" title="aging">low socioeconomic backgrounds</a>.</b></p>
<p><b id="docs-internal-guid-61946395-7fff-d56f-0ffb-cfa363a1adeb">For example, when young girls are told before a test that they are naturally worse at math than boys, they will <a href="https://www.apa.org/research/action/stereotype" title="aging">score significantly lower</a> than girls who were not told this information. The negative stereotypes to which the members of these groups are exposed inhibit performance, inducing performance anxiety and lowering self-confidence.</b></p>
<p><b id="docs-internal-guid-61946395-7fff-d56f-0ffb-cfa363a1adeb">Furthermore, the effect of internalized negative stereotypes influences more than cognitive health. Shockingly, older people with more positive self-perceptions of aging lived, on average, <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/psp-832261.pdf" title="aging">7.5 years longer</a> than their counterparts with less positive self-perceptions. Such statistics illustrate the importance of maintaining a positive self-image—no matter what period of life. Not only will you feel better, but you will add years to your life.</b></p>
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        <h2 class="element-invisible"><a href="/file/post-it-note">post it note</a></h2>
    
  
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    <img class="media-element file-default" data-delta="3" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://cueback-com.storage.googleapis.com/cueback/blog_editor_media/post-it-150262_640_0.png?GoogleAccessId=298180869348-compute@developer.gserviceaccount.com&amp;Expires=1751136861&amp;Signature=nssxgFEmylP%2B3CeMe8hL%2Fe27AKHgGbY%2B6bOaZCz6guLA7Z6R1zqfbG%2Fzspb1KLrWJgCj9%2Buh6YadT6%2BCIBtzDFH%2Bn5QleinJkXhoWwUG77yP%2F9bWWQbKKTB3Gnfli0ykxNsF%2F4%2Bnl8%2FN8YNhN%2Fk2F%2F71DmvfSg48QdSYgQGKDh9wmMrJM2aUDa%2FBsEX%2F1fobbMEAAVj2UtcBIqg226RKH2DrOoX58pWfMknsZa3dUUZh6VdKmKd7JC2Apx91pFHpBrE%2FqUyMocYKWTAikhOzJslWXO0lSpXvhTluOqeAzb%2FItpccoqY0%2B0Nr6lXJ77vZeRdMgky4c2Zybd%2FsglVj9A%3D%3D" width="640" height="633" alt="Prompts can help with memory retention" />  </div>

  
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<h1 dir="ltr"><b id="docs-internal-guid-3ac14d46-7fff-ec35-2925-b85f81d82f97">Using Prompts to Remember</b></h1>
<p><b id="docs-internal-guid-3ac14d46-7fff-ec35-2925-b85f81d82f97">So how can you combat these stereotypes about aging? A good start is surrounding yourself with an age-positive environment and supporting your goals. It would help if you should then think confidently about your ability to remember what’s important to you. Remember—your age will not hold you back. Reminding yourself of your capabilities and pushing the limits of your memory may open up new frontiers for what you can recall. </b></p>
<p><b id="docs-internal-guid-3ac14d46-7fff-ec35-2925-b85f81d82f97">One way to positively encourage yourself to remember is to answer questions, or prompts, that address specific experiences from your past. Prompts induce a reflex known as “<a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/3068341/want-to-know-what-your-brain-does-when-it-hears-a-question" title="aging">instinctive elaboration</a>,” meaning that the brain focuses all of its power on coming up with an answer. So, by answering a specific prompt, like those found on <a href="https://mystoriesmatter.com/" title="aging">My Stories Matter</a>, you harness your brain’s energy—and that’s a powerful resource. </b></p>
<p><b id="docs-internal-guid-3ac14d46-7fff-ec35-2925-b85f81d82f97">What was the name of your prom date, and why did you go to prom with them? <a href="https://www.mystoriesmatter.com/blog/post/preserve-your-grandparents%E2%80%99-memories-on-my-stories-matter%C2%A0/" title="aging">What was your earliest memory of your grandparents? </a>What was your favorite family recipe? The answers to these questions are inside your brain—and we believe you can find them. If you consistently tell yourself that you can remember, there's a higher chance you will. </b></p>
<p><b id="docs-internal-guid-3ac14d46-7fff-ec35-2925-b85f81d82f97">Can you cure your “forgetfulness”? Eliminating negative stereotypes is not an end-all solution to age-related memory problems, but it can make a difference. After all, you have more wisdom, life experiences, and special memories. What could be wrong with that?</b></p>
<p><b id="docs-internal-guid-3ac14d46-7fff-ec35-2925-b85f81d82f97">Want to use tools to help you retain memories for you to look back on? Sign up for <a href="https://www.mystoriesmatter.com/" title="aging">My Stories Matter</a> free!</b></p>


Smashing Stereotypes About Aging

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    <img title="happiness curve" class="media-element file-default" data-delta="1" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://cueback-com.storage.googleapis.com/cueback/blog_editor_media/people-2583943_640_0.jpg?GoogleAccessId=298180869348-compute@developer.gserviceaccount.com&amp;Expires=1751136861&amp;Signature=Jo11hHsHWi399H197jz7XAP5H00SxuKSByAikDIApDwH6ZHR3V%2Bk7e5BZdaLgEQ%2FRna%2B9%2FwxjGM%2Bz1CJT41G9fk1u%2F7P46hhWFtQjzwj7CfKNauX1GAq1XHmhndqloVUTkTEoQQcbeDPdR7OmMKIsdJkn8Q%2BjKKkagmo70YSaHUGkHOuzfFmlJV17T3dIloaHiy36b27yw7elRdTbLpRaLIpUvNFGS2SyaUUeZghrzWMYMCaa4k4YXrPNTtXPaFfUS%2BKqWiQLbg3UtTJLKFi3fq0DBA2x%2FP5WcXfT9Ymr0nWaDojXFaVAScmTw9Ey%2FHGuaru9QzpR7hDaSRP9M4ZlA%3D%3D" width="480" height="640" alt="Happiness in age" />  </div>

  
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<p>Which period of life was your happiest? </p>
<p>Chances are you’d say young adulthood. Your body is in great shape, and friends and family surround you. The world is your oyster.</p>
<p>However, <a href="https://www.psychiatrist.com/jcp/mental/improvement-in-mental-health-with-aging/" title="happiness curve">research</a> suggests that the older you get, the happier you become. Despite a decline in physical and cognitive abilities, your <a href="https://www.psychiatrist.com/jcp/mental/improvement-in-mental-health-with-aging/" title="happiness curve">mental state improves</a>. The “<a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w26641" title="happiness curve">Happiness curve</a>” best illustrates this phenomenon.</p>
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<p><strong>What is the Happiness Curve?</strong></p>
<p>Though seemingly paradoxical, the happiness curve is tied to the natural pressures of young adulthood, which contribute to an atmosphere of stress and uncertainty. Questions of how to:</p>
<p>• Find the right romantic partner </p>
<p>• Choose an enjoyable yet lucrative career </p>
<p>• Transition to financial stability </p>
<p>constantly plague the minds of young adults. </p>
<p>Since <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3792649/" title="happiness curve">the “self” is still forming in this stage of life</a>, searching for a core identity feels emotionally consuming. Conversely, older adults have typically <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3018853/" title="happiness curve">cemented their identity</a>, leading to more emotional stability and achieving the happiness curve. </p>
<p>For this reason, the happiness curve is a kind of “<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/12/the-real-roots-of-midlife-crisis/382235/" title="happiness curve">U-curve</a>” (or, as some have whimsically modeled it, a <a href="http://thecontextofthings.com/2015/01/05/happiness-u-curve/" title="happiness curve">smiley face</a>) – with physical and cognitive health having a surprisingly inverse relationship with happiness.</p>
<p>Remarkably, people entering their 20s and 30s reported having the <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.psych.093008.100448?rfr_dat=cr_pub%3Dpubmed&amp;url_ver=Z39.88-2003&amp;rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org&amp;journalCode=psych" title="happiness curve">highest stress, depression, and anxiety among all age groups</a>. Simultaneously, they also have the lowest levels of contentment and well-being. In contrast, people in their 50s and 60s have much <a href="https://www.psychiatrist.com/jcp/mental/improvement-in-mental-health-with-aging/" title="happiness curve">higher life satisfaction, emotional stability, and positivity than their younger counterparts</a>.</p>
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    <img title="happiness curve" class="media-element file-default" data-delta="3" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://cueback-com.storage.googleapis.com/cueback/blog_editor_media/child-1440526_640.jpg?GoogleAccessId=298180869348-compute@developer.gserviceaccount.com&amp;Expires=1751136861&amp;Signature=FCnOBjfAc3Q01d8bB%2Bnj9TaTmgHb2rNhHpEeLWRuCKIQQ5CxprzzpOjZqYj1cMfq4WG1N0EKfmDUAJ%2BOCc%2BVqd5yPFq9NseYU%2BMsMOabhc1ee8psQLOkas8MkOfA1C0ZeMqQ%2BanJi2f4KQZTD4LqgszUGYrfkM2iExyaRYug%2BA54bIrJ7wzgNDLmxtOS6JAKoMqb%2FheK2qk8Mbkz8qLYiZ1D6Abomu1RySJOR264qqlPc%2FYF%2BUBqTnmucdqiIpTIwgJ4N9xWQUSHNwf2PcviYiQnz8x1VzBw1%2BGrTyfdoHACbDcV83we8XG%2FehCrUkwxc%2BYUhsDnSFY6lLY4fSrfmQ%3D%3D" width="640" height="426" alt="Children are an exception, they are almost always happy" />  </div>

  
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<p><strong>The Happiness Curve</strong></p>
<p>The happiness curve is attributed to the ability of older people to <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2001-00438-011?doi=1" title="happiness curve">focus on the positive aspects of situations</a>. As you grow older, you’re affected by adverse conditions less than younger people and are more likely to focus on your successes.  For example, an evening spent reading stories to grandchildren significantly outweighs the annoyance of achy knees or weak glasses. </p>
<p>These findings support the principles of <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1999-10334-001" title="happiness curve">socio-emotional selectivity theory (SST)</a>, which refers to the relationship between increased happiness and a limited timeline. Happiness, according to SST, is an individual’s confidence in their future. Since an <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00339/full" title="happiness curve">unpredictable future</a> confronts younger people, they focus their energy on combating whatever challenges lie ahead, such as going to college, completing a summer internship, or getting into perfect shape.</p>
<p>This ambiguity makes young adults less embedded in the “now’, delaying internal emotional satisfaction. Therefore, the happiness curve is at its lowest at this point in life. </p>
<p>Conversely, when facing a shorter period, a person will focus on the present, prioritizing emotional satisfaction over preparation for the future. Happiness, in turn, becomes the biggest priority for the aging adult, as do values such as love, family connection, and self-reflection. The happiness curve is complete. </p>
<p><b>Perspective: Essential to the Happiness Curve</b></p>
<p>As you grow older, you acquire wisdom by learning lessons from your past. Knowledge increases the sense of self and contributes to the notion of “<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1064748112600682" title="happiness curve">successful aging</a>.” </p>
<p>Wisdom allows you to have a meaningful relationship with your past, using memories as a lens to view your identity. This accumulation of memories gives you perspective, a key ingredient in the happiness curve. </p>
<p>As you remember countless embarrassing or negative moments (like when you spilled yogurt on a breakfast date), you also remember that none of it mattered. Though your younger self felt humiliated, those moments are now funny. </p>
<p>Age shows us that even losses that seem incredibly consequential at the moment, like breakups, are ultimately minor in the grand scheme of life. Older people focus on happiness instead of heartbreak when reflecting on a past love. Filtered by <a href="https://www.mystoriesmatter.com/blog/post/what-causes-nostalgia-goggles/" title="happiness curve">nostalgia goggles</a> (looking at past events positively), the past becomes a harbor of positive recollections.</p>
<p><strong>Record Memories on My Stories Matter </strong></p>
<p>Thanks to the happiness curve, it only goes up from here! In the <a href="https://seniorplanet.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Bowie-aging-quote-1.jpg" title="happiness curve">words</a> of David Bowie, “Aging is an extraordinary process where you become the person you always should have been.” So don’t let the fear of aging worry you. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.mystoriesmatter.com/" title="Happiness curve">My Stories Matter</a> is a great platform to start <a href="https://www.mystoriesmatter.com/blog/post/4-reasons-to-record-your-life/" title="happiness curve">recording the lessons</a> you’ve learned along the way. You can: </p>
<p>• Collaborate with friends and family </p>
<p>• Organize your stories and memories with our timeline feature</p>
<p>• Answer prompts that ask you specific questions to get started </p>
<p>Your information is kept secure and private, unlike other social media apps. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.mystoriesmatter.com/" title="happiness curve">Sign up</a> today for free and allow your happiness curve to rise.</p>


Aging

Learn how memory changes with age — and how to strengthen it

Smashing Stereotypes About Aging

What is the Happiness Curve Why You Get Happier as You Age