When we think of aging, memory is often viewed as something that declines. That is true (I’ve looked for my phone while holding it in my hand), but in many ways, memory also gets better with age.
As adults, our brains become more skilled at organizing, filtering, and shaping memories. We can look at pictures and news articles, and ask friends what they remember about a shared event if the details get fuzzy. This approach is different from what children do to remember events. They’re more vulnerable to suggestion and less able to use external reference points (like Googling information to figure out a timeline of events).
As we age, we reconstruct memories more meaningfully (such as that birthday happening the same year the museum was constructed), weaving emotions and personal insights into the past.
Interestingly, emotion plays a key role. Events with strong emotional impact are often more vividly remembered. No memory is flawless—we all experience the occasional false memory—but adults tend to be more aware of these pitfalls. For example, as we get older, we experience more losses (friendships, jobs, moving, etc). Although the pain doesn’t decrease, we find ways to deal with preserving (or erasing) those memories.
So, while we may forget where we put our keys, we have better coping skills when dealing with our memories compared when we were younger. In that sense, memory isn’t just preserved—it’s perfected.
Vanya Wryter Consulting Services 