Oct 11, 20151 min
Short-term memory acts as a kind of “scratch-pad” for temporary recall of the information which is being processed at any point in time, and has been referred to as the brain’s “Post-it” note. It can be thought of as the ability to remember and process information at the same time. It holds a small amount, typically around 7 items or less, in an active, readily-available state for a short period of time and starts to empty out in 10-15 seconds!
So, if we cannot retain information for very long and at the same time we are sending along information, where is our attention truly focused? Are we now not really responsible for the errors we make in advance of even making them? Is it a free pass to minimize inattention and if so, are there limits on what is excusable?
• STOP – a quick review of text can avoid explanation after the fact
• SLOW DOWN – organize your thoughts before you type
• THINK – is this message really ready for “prime time”?
©2015 Maureen Weisner
#typos #communication #messaging #shorttermmemory #informationprocessing #temporaryrecall #texting