There's A Reason Against Too Many Numbers/The Password Problems

http://suburbanjournals.stltoday.com/articles/2010/09/13/madison/news/0915cla-phone.txt

Charlene Hyman ran into a big problem last week when her grandson busted his cell phone.

Hyman gave him her own cell to take to school. That's where the trouble starts.

"I can't even call his mom today to tell her he needs to get his phone," said Hyman, 59, of Pontoon Beach.

She can't call because the only place the number is recorded is in her cell phone's address book. Hyman doesn't have a clue what it is.

Hyman's issue is becoming a common one. As almost everyone has acquired a cell phone, people are relying on the devices more and more to keep track of numbers. And that means the need to remember seven digits (plus area code) is all but gone thanks to phone address books, speed dial and other shortcut gizmos.

"I tend not to worry about remembering them, because they're already there, which is a bad thing, because if you lose your phone, then you're in trouble," Hyman said.

How bad is it? An experiment: Quick - think of your childhood phone number. Now think of your current home phone number. Took you a while, right?

Dave Grah, of Dupo, knows the feeling.

"Half the time I try to think of a number, I have to look it up," said Grah, 44, last week. "If you had a gun to my head, I couldn't tell you what my daughter's phone number is."

A generation ago, such a thing would be unthinkable, if not plain dangerous. Back then, it wasn't unusual to remember a dozen phone numbers - workplaces, friends, family members, even the police department. Some of this might have been because phone numbers are especially easy to memorize. Breaking seven numbers into two sections (or three depending on if an area code is included) is a perfect memorization device.

Some still retain that mental address book, such as John Graves, of Columbia. He said he's been using cell phones for 20 years and has no problem recalling numbers.

"When you're as young as I am, you don't forget," said Graves, 67, an automobile dealer.

One person who agrees is Amy Storey, a spokeswoman for CTIA-The Wireless Association, a trade group.

"People do remember others' cell phone numbers and certainly the ones that are important," Storey said.

Storey said she remembers her relatives' numbers. Still, she said, people shouldn't rely only on the technology.

"People should have backups of their phone numbers," Storey said.

Storey may not believe there's a problem, but mail carrier Amy Stephens, of Collinsville, does.

"I can remember some that I've used for years, but newer phone numbers I can't remember," said Stephens, 39, as she relaxed at a Collinsville bar recently.

At the same bar, Linda Gnaegy, 62, a retiree from Collinsville, said she had the same problem.

"I never remember my daughter's number unless I look it up in my little directory or use my cell phone," Gnaegy said.

And outside of a grocery store in Granite City, Alice Mikuleza talked about the problems her forgetfulness have caused.

"New numbers, I just put in the phone. I just don't write it someplace else," she said.

Contact reporter Jim Merkel at 344-0264, ext. 138

Percentage of Americans with cell phones


1995: 13 percent

2000: 38 percent

2005: 69 percent

2009: 91 percent

Source: ctia.org