The Science of Forgetting: Why We're Already Losing Our Pandemic Memories and the Role of Gamification in Preserving Collective History

The Science of Forgetting: Why We're Already Losing Our Pandemic Memories and the Role of Gamification in Preserving Collective History

It's a basic assumption that everyone forgets everything all the time. The default mode of our brain is to forget. Our brains have three interconnected phases for memory: encoding, consolidation, and retrieval of information. When we come across new information, our brains encode it by making changes in neurons in the hippocampus, an important memory center, as well as other areas like the amygdala for emotional memories. These neurons create a physical memory trace known as an engram. However, a large portion of this information is lost unless it undergoes memory consolidation, often happening during sleep, which makes the memories more stable and long-term.

One theory suggests that the hippocampus stores an index of where these cortical memory neurons are located for retrieval, similar to how Google search works. During memory retrieval, the memory trace neurons in the hippocampus and cortex are reactivated. Our memories are centered around our life stories and the events that affected us personally the most. However, even for salient emotional or life-threatening events, the more we experience them, the more difficult it becomes to capture all the details. New memories, simply resulting from living more life, interfere with memories of older events. New events are more salient and easier to remember because we are more likely to talk about them and repeatedly remember and reconsolidate them. On the other hand, when events are uniform, they are harder to recall, and the memory tends to group them as one event, resulting in unclear memories.

As a society, many people don't want to hold onto their memories of the COVID-19 pandemic. People tend to view the future more positively than the past. This future-oriented positivity bias occurs because the future can be imagined in many ways, unlike the fixed nature of the past. Remembering the past is something we do in the present, influenced by our current emotions, knowledge, and attitudes. This reality has direct implications for how we look back on the COVID-19 pandemic and how we navigate the future.

In order to truly anchor our autobiographical memories into history, our lives need to be turned upside down by historical events. While parents pass down their knowledge and family history to their offspring, these communicative memories tend to last for only two or three generations. Similarly, without cultural artifacts such as books, movies, statues, and museums, memories of the COVID-19 pandemic may be consigned to the entropic dustbin of history.

However, there may be a solution to preserving collective memories and ensuring that significant events like the pandemic are not forgotten. Enter gamification, a concept that has gained popularity in recent years. Gamification involves incorporating game elements into non-gaming contexts to engage and motivate individuals.

One creative platform that has embraced gamification is Wappinguild. It serves as a bridge between creators and businesses looking to commission work. Within the app, creators take on the role of the protagonist in an RPG game, unleashing their creativity and accomplishing quests. The aim is to create a society where everyone can work creatively.

By infusing the process of preserving collective memories with gamification, we can engage individuals in actively participating and contributing to the preservation of historical events like the COVID-19 pandemic. Gamification has the power to make the process more enjoyable, interactive, and immersive, making it a valuable tool to ensure that memories are not lost to time.

In conclusion, our default mode is to forget, and this poses a challenge when it comes to remembering significant events like the COVID-19 pandemic. Our memories are influenced by our present emotions and perspectives, and the passage of time can further blur the details. However, by incorporating gamification into the process of preserving collective memories, we can create an engaging and interactive platform that encourages active participation and ensures that important events are not forgotten.

Actionable Advice:

1. Journaling: One way to combat the natural tendency to forget is to keep a journal. By regularly recording your experiences, thoughts, and emotions, you can create a personal archive of memories that can be revisited in the future.
2. Create a Digital Time Capsule: Use technology to your advantage by creating a digital time capsule. Store photos, videos, and written accounts of significant events or periods in your life. This will not only help you remember, but also allow future generations to have access to these memories.
3. Participate in Collective Memory Projects: Look for opportunities to contribute to collective memory projects, whether it's through online platforms or local initiatives. By sharing your experiences and perspectives, you can help preserve and document the history of important events for future generations.

In the end, it is up to us as individuals and as a society to actively work towards preserving our memories and ensuring that significant events are not forgotten. By understanding the science of forgetting and incorporating gamification into the process, we can create a more engaging and effective approach to collective memory preservation.