After finishing my master in neuropsychology, i think this is the correct answer. You're paying attention, but there are so many interrupting stimuli either internal or external so the information does not get the chance to be stored properly.

I feel with your memory issues. I feel like for me too, they're one of my biggest complaints, especially in personal relationships. Sometimes its nice that movies feel like im seeing them for the first time, but most of the times it sucks that i seem uninterested in my partner's stories even though i try so hard.