You've probably experienced this:
You watch an incredible YouTube video. Full of insights, strategies, frameworks you're excited to apply. You think, "This is exactly what I needed."
Three days later, you can barely remember the main points.
A week later, it's almost completely gone.
Here's the uncomfortable truth: You forget 90% of what you watch within a week.
And no, it's not because you weren't paying attention. It's because of how human memory actually works.
The Forgetting Curve: 140 Years of Bad News
In 1885, psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus discovered something depressing: we lose most of what we learn within days if we don't actively work to retain it.
His "forgetting curve" showed that without reinforcement:
- •50% of new information vanishes within 1 hour
- •70% disappears within 24 hours
- •90% is gone within a week
This has been replicated thousands of times in modern research. It's not controversial. It's reality.
The video learning problem is even worse. When you watch content passively—even educational content—your brain treats it as entertainment, not learning material. You're not encoding memories deeply enough for long-term retention.
Why Traditional "Solutions" Don't Work
Taking Notes?
By the time you've typed a note, you've missed the next three insights. Note-taking during video consumption is cognitively expensive—you're splitting attention between comprehension and documentation.
Pausing and Rewinding?
Kills the flow. Videos are designed for continuous watching. Constant interruption degrades both comprehension and enjoyment.
Saving Videos to "Watch Later"?
You already know how that ends. Your "Watch Later" playlist has 147 videos you'll never revisit.
YouTube's Native Bookmarks?
They mark timestamps but do nothing to help you remember. You're back at square one: watching something you've already watched, forgetting it again.
What Actually Works: The Science of Retention
Memory research has converged on two techniques that dramatically improve long-term retention:
1. Active Recall (2-3x More Effective Than Passive Review)
Instead of re-reading or re-watching, you force your brain to retrieve information from memory. This strengthens neural pathways and builds lasting recall.
The evidence: Studies consistently show active recall improves retention by 200-300% compared to passive review methods.
The problem: Creating recall-based learning materials (like flashcards) from video content is tedious work. Most people don't do it.
2. Spaced Repetition (75-92% Better Retention)
You review information at increasing intervals: 10 minutes, 1 hour, 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month.
The evidence: Spaced repetition can improve retention by 75-92% compared to massed practice (cramming).
The problem: Manually scheduling reviews is complex. Apps like Anki require you to create and schedule every card yourself.
The Real Barrier: Effort
Here's why most people don't use these techniques: They require work.
After watching a 45-minute video, who wants to spend another 20 minutes creating flashcards and scheduling reviews? You've already spent 45 minutes watching. The last thing you want is more effort.
This is the "activation energy" problem. The best learning techniques are useless if they're too painful to implement.
What If the Work Was Automatic?
This is where I got stuck. I knew the science. I knew what worked. But I also knew I wasn't going to manually create flashcards after every video I watched.
The question became: What if AI did the heavy lifting?
What if you could:
- •Tag a moment in a video with one click
- •Get an AI summary of what was said
- •Receive automatically generated flashcards
- •Have spaced repetition scheduling handled automatically
And what if it worked across devices? Watch on your TV, get flashcards in your inbox the next morning.
That's why I built TAGiT.
How TAGiT Solves the 90% Problem
TAGiT combines the proven science (active recall + spaced repetition) with automation to remove the effort barrier.
Active Tagging: Capture in the Moment
While watching YouTube, press Alt+T when something important happens. TAGiT:
- •Saves the exact timestamp
- •Generates an AI summary of that segment
- •Creates flashcards automatically
- •Extracts the full transcript
Total time cost: 1 second per insight.
You're capturing knowledge at the optimal moment—when it's fresh and contextually relevant—without breaking your viewing flow.
Daily Digest: Zero-Effort Cross-Device Learning
Here's where it gets interesting.
You already watch YouTube on multiple devices: TV, tablet, phone, desktop. Manual tools (like browser extensions) only work on one device.
Daily Digest analyzes your YouTube watch history (which syncs across all devices via your Google account) and automatically:
- •Identifies educational content worth remembering
- •Generates AI summaries of key insights
- •Creates flashcards for spaced repetition
- •Delivers everything to your inbox each morning
Total effort required: Zero.
Watch on your TV at night. Wake up to insights and flashcards the next morning. No manual capture. No forgotten saves. Just automatic knowledge processing.
Smart Flashcard System: Science-Based Review
TAGiT's flashcard system implements proper spaced repetition:
Learning Steps: 10min → 1hr → 1 day
New cards progress through deliberate learning steps designed to build lasting memory. Cards you rate as "Got it" graduate faster. Cards that need practice move through each step deliberately.
Mastery Progression: New → Learning → Reviewing → Mastered
Watch your knowledge grow visually. Focus study time where it matters most.
Struggling Card Detection: TAGiT identifies "leeches"—cards that won't stick—and prompts you to edit or delete them. Stop wasting time on problem cards.
Real-World Impact
Here's what this looks like after 30 days:
Before TAGiT:
- •Watched 45 educational videos
- •Remembered 3-4 key points vaguely
- •Zero structured review system
- •Knowledge retention: ~10%
After TAGiT:
- •Watched 45 educational videos (same time investment)
- •Received 15 curated Daily Digest emails
- •Generated 127 flashcards automatically
- •Reviewed insights during morning coffee
- •Knowledge retention: ~80%
Same time investment. 8x better retention.
Who This Is For
Students: Watch YouTube lecture recordings on any device. Get flashcards for exam prep automatically.
Professionals: Consume YouTube tutorials and conferences during commutes. Review insights at your desk.
Lifelong Learners: Watch podcasts and educational content on YouTube on your TV. Build a knowledge library effortlessly.
Researchers: Track references across videos. Chat with video content to extract specific insights.
The Activation Energy Solution
The best learning technique is the one you'll actually use.
TAGiT removes the activation energy barrier. You don't need to change your behavior. You're already watching YouTube. TAGiT makes that time count.
No new habits. No manual effort. No friction.
Just watch. Sleep. Wake up smarter.
Try It Yourself
I built TAGiT because I was frustrated with forgetting everything I watched. I've been using it for months, and it's genuinely changed how I learn from video content.
But I want to know if this solves a real problem for others or if it's just my own workflow quirk.
I need honest feedback from early users:
- •Does this fit your learning process?
- •What's missing?
- •Would you actually use this long-term?
Free tier available: 25 tags per month + 3 Daily Digest emails, no credit card required.
Install TAGiT on Chrome Web Store
Visit Dashboard
The science is clear: You forget 90% of what you watch. TAGiT changes that.
Try it and see if it works for you!
Questions or feedback? Email me at adam@tagit.com or find me on X @adamvisu.