How to Remember Stuff: The Medium Makes the Message Stick
Posted January 30, 2024
The ability to remember and retain crucial details is an invaluable skill, and research suggests that the medium through which information is delivered can significantly influence our capacity to absorb and recall it.
According to a study by explain.ninja, viewers retain an impressive 95% of a message when it is delivered through video, compared to just 10% when the same information is conveyed through text. Additionally, research from truscribe.com highlights that combining audio and visual elements can dramatically enhance retention rates, underscoring the value of a multi-sensory approach to learning and communication.
People absorb information in different ways. Some thrive by reading, others learn best through hands-on experience, while many are visual or auditory learners. Understanding these differences and tailoring your message to suit various learning styles can have a profound impact on how well the information is retained.
Video has emerged as a particularly powerful medium for capturing attention and boosting retention. The explain.ninja study emphasizes that the combination of visual and auditory elements in video creates an immersive experience that makes messages easier to process and remember. This aligns with research suggesting that humans process visuals 60,000 times faster than text, highlighting the efficiency of video as a communication tool.
The retention statistics further illustrate the power of multimedia. Audio-only content has a retention rate of just 10% after 72 hours, while visuals alone improve retention to 35%. However, when audio and visuals are combined, the retention rate jumps to an impressive 65%. This demonstrates that a multimedia approach, especially incorporating video, is highly effective for enhancing information recall.
Implementing a multimedia strategy can take several practical forms. Creating engaging video content with clear visuals and crisp audio ensures the material captures and maintains attention. Supplementing written content with infographics, charts, and images helps visual learners retain information more effectively. Providing audio versions of content, such as podcasts or narrated articles, supports auditory learners. Interactive elements, like quizzes, polls, or clickable features in videos, encourage active engagement and reinforce memory retention.
In a world flooded with information and limited attention spans, understanding how people absorb and remember information is essential. While individual learning styles vary, embracing a multimedia approach, particularly through video, can reach a wider audience and significantly enhance retention. As the saying goes, "The medium is the message," and when it comes to remembering information, choosing the right medium can make all the difference.