Short-term memory facts for kids

Short-term memory is like your brain's temporary notepad. It's the ability to hold a small amount of information in your mind for a very short time. For example, when you remember a phone number just long enough to dial it, you're using your short-term memory. This information usually stays with you for only a few seconds.

The opposite of short-term memory is long-term memory. This is where your brain stores information for a much longer time, sometimes even forever. Things like your name, your address, or how to ride a bike are kept in your long-term memory.

What is Memory?

Memory is how your brain stores and gets back past experiences. It's the process that lets us remember things. Memory is super important for learning new things and for our intelligence.

Think about touching something hot. Your brain quickly processes that information. It learns that touching hot things can hurt. This memory helps you avoid touching hot things again in the future. Memory, especially short-term memory, helps us learn and behave smartly.

How Memory Works

A scientist named Donald O. Hebb was one of the first to explain the difference between short-term and long-term memory. When your brain gets new information, like something you see or hear, it first creates a very brief "sensory memory." This memory only lasts for a few seconds.

What you actually notice then moves into your short-term memory. This can last for up to a few minutes. Scientists believe this type of memory relies on electrical activity in your brain. It can easily be lost if you get distracted. Short-term memory includes:

• Iconic memory: This holds visual images.
• Acoustic memory: This holds sounds.
• Working memory: This is an active process that helps you hold onto a memory until you need to use it.

Memories that stay with you for longer are called long-term memories. Donald Hebb thought that long-term memories involve changes in the connections between your brain cells, called neurons. Storing information in long-term memory is more permanent and involves creating new proteins in the brain.

Whether information moves from short-term to long-term memory often depends on how important it is. For example, memories made during stressful times are often remembered well. This helps animals avoid danger in the future.

How Long Does Short-Term Memory Last?

Short-term memory doesn't last forever. The information in it fades away over time. To keep information in your short-term memory for longer, you often have to repeat it. You might say it out loud or in your head over and over. This helps the information stay active in your short-term memory for a bit longer.

How Much Can Short-Term Memory Hold?

There's a limit to how much information your short-term memory can hold. This limit is called your "memory span." It means you can only remember a certain amount of things for a short time before you start to forget them.

Scientists have done experiments where people try to remember a list of items. They found that people reach their memory span when they can no longer remember the list in the correct order.

What Affects Short-Term Memory?

Many things can affect your short-term memory. Simple distractions can make you forget something quickly. More serious conditions can also impact it.

It's normal for memory to change as people get older. By age 55, many people start to notice some memory loss, especially with long-term memories. However, short-term memory can also be affected by age.

Besides getting older, other things can affect memory, including:

• Certain diseases like Alzheimer's disease.
• Conditions like aphasia (problems with language).
• Mental health conditions like schizophrenia.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

These conditions can all be linked to memory loss.