Low memory alert flashes on MacBook Air M1 with 16 GB memory and 494.38 GB hard drive

I keep getting a low memory alert saying I need to close some applications on my MacBook Air M1 with 16 GB memory and 494.38 GB hard drive. I only have mail, calendar, and Safari open. In Safari I have only 6 windows open. Running Big Sur 11.1. My old MacBook pro late 2011 often had 8 programs and 10 or 12 windows open in Safari without problem. Does anyone else have this problem? Is it a hardware problem or a problem with Big Sur?