How to Improve People's Memory

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If you’re anything like me, you’re addicted to your phone.

If you’re not like me, congratulations, you’re better than me.

Whether you are dedicated to your phone or not, you’re likely bombarded with information everywhere you look.

News headlines, emails (like this one, sorry), social media, WhatsApp, Netflix, YouTube, and everyone’s favourite - adverts.

We are constantly in a state of information overload.

Let's fix this problem with a business.

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📈 Stats & Trends:

• Average daily social media use: 143 minutes (2.4 hrs), with 35% of teens using platforms "almost constantly" (source)

• 78% of 13-17 year olds check devices hourly. (source)

• Frequent social media users (15+ daily checks) develop hypersensitive brain responses to social feedback, altering reward processing in the striatum. (source)

• Heavy users show 10-15% reduced cognitive performance due to constant task-switching, shrinking grey matter in attention-control regions. (source)

• 50% increase in same-day memory failures with high social media use. (source)

• 10% reduction in event recall accuracy when documenting experiences for social media. (source)

Unsurprisingly, it’s bad for us to be glued to our phones.

🧐 Opportunities:

So how do we fix it?

You could help people fix their phone addiction through dopamine detoxes and app timers.

But that’s boring.

Instead, embrace the phone addiction and help people put all that excess information to good use by testing them.

Testing forces the brain to reconstruct knowledge, strengthening neural pathways.

Immediate testing improves short-term retention (same-day recall) & delayed testing enhances long-term inference (better problem-solving after 1 week).

Free-recall tests promote deeper processing (better conceptual understanding) vs multiple-choice tests.

While testing improves memory, it doesn’t consistently enhance deep comprehension unless questions target analysis.

Bottom Line: Testing transforms passive consumption into durable knowledge by engaging retrieval processes critical for memory formation

So based on the above, here are some ideas:

Idea #1 - Chrome Extension Tests

AI-powered Chrome extension creating personalized memory cues from consumed content (articles/videos).

At the end of the day and/or immediately after closing a tab, the extension will create a set of questions designed to test the user on what they read/watched.

You could also do this for Kindle readers who want more help learning what they read.

Idea #2 - Knowledge Bank

GitHub for personal knowledge – users tag/categorize saved content into shareable "schema networks".

A schema network is like a mental web that connects related ideas, experiences, and knowledge to help your brain organize and recall information. Sort of like a personalized mind map where concepts are linked in meaningful ways.

Users can then revisit these and have all the content in one place for when they need it.

Idea #3 - Memory Drills

30-day quests replacing scrolling with memory drills (e.g., "Recall 5 key points from yesterday’s news").

This helps more for longer-term memory as it asks users to remember things from the days or weeks prior.

Idea #4 - Journals

If all that’s too techy for you, you could create a physical journal targeted at helping people improve their memory.

It’s essentially a journal that people fill in at the end of each day about what they’ve read, watched or learnt.

You can make these journals via Amazon KDP or even through print-on-demand sites like Printify.

Run paid social ads and make short-form video content targeted towards people looking to improve their memory and cognitive function.

You could also make this an app.

👷 How to Build:

First, define how your business is going to test users to help improve their memory.

If you’re building an app or extension you can try these AI coding tools to speed up the actual build.

You’ll likely need some coding experience or someone to help you code.

Choose a lean tech stack that supports rapid prototyping and develop iteratively - build, test, and refine based on early user feedback.

Gamify the app so users actually want to keep using it. Tests will likely be a barrier for a lot of people, so you need to provide incentives to encourage them to keep using it. Think like Duolingo Streaks.

🚀 How to Grow:

Content & Inbound Marketing:

• Write blog posts or newsletters explaining the science behind memory and the product’s unique approach.

• Share case studies or success stories from beta testers.

Product-Led Growth:

• Build in referral incentives (e.g., extra features, early access) for users who invite friends.

• Use in-app nudges to encourage sharing on social media. For example, share your learnings.

Social Media & Communities:

• Engage with productivity and self-improvement communities on platforms like Reddit or Discord.

• Collaborate with influencers or thought leaders in the edtech and wellness spaces like @emonthebrain.

Paid Advertising & SEO:

• Run targeted ads (Facebook, Google) focusing on users seeking to combat information overload, reduce their phone time or learn new skills.

• Optimize your landing pages and app store descriptions for search queries related to memory improvement and productivity.

Partnerships & Collaborations:

• Partner with educational platforms or productivity tools for co-marketing opportunities.

• Explore integration with popular productivity apps (to drive organic traffic).

User Retention & Feedback:

• Regularly update features based on user data.

• Implement in-app surveys to guide product improvements.

• Use gamification and challenge formats to keep engagement high.

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