by Anishametra Saravanan 

Have you ever tried looking for a particular file or photo, and the next thing you know, you’ve gone down a 3-hour rabbit hole? You may even find yourself endlessly scrolling through your Christmas family photo folder from 2009, and the original reason you began your quest has been forgotten in the first place.

If you relate to the statement above; welcome to the Digital Hoarder’s Club.

Innovations in digital technology have revolutionised the way people manage their possessions and data storage. With the advent of cloud storage, individuals can now easily get rid of huge volumes of physical possessions and traditional storage methods. However, an issue remains: organising files.

A study conducted by Northumbria University identified 4 distinct types of digital hoarders. If you’re curious to find out what kind of digital hoarder you may be, here’s a closer look:

Or as we like to call them, the “just–in–case” hoarders. The anxious hoarder is described as someone who keeps almost every email or document they receive, regardless of its potential usefulness in the future. This behaviour is said to give the hoarder a sense of comfort and security. The fear of losing something that could be important or necessary at some point in the future is usually amplified in workplace environments. 

Known as a “hoarder by instruction”, this behavioural dimension is most specific to workplaces. In this instance, digital hoarding behaviour is directed by organisational structures, requiring individuals to keep data for the purposes of their work processes. Compliant hoarders are less emotionally attached to digital content and are more likely to delete data when it is deemed unnecessary. 

Digital hoarders in this category are usually not particular about their organisational skills or lack thereof. Data accumulates over time, and without active management habits, a disengaged hoarder can accidentally end up with a substantial amount of digital clutter. 

Disagreements over where the line is between collecting and hoarding are not new and it becomes exceptionally blurry in regard to digital content. While the debate goes on, the study suggests that “collectors” are considered a subset of digital hoarders. Collectors are systematic about how they categorise and collate material, and they take pride in how ordered their large library of content is. 

Although organising your files may not always be a top priority in your daily to-do list, it is important to have a system in place to maintain both a neat digital space and good organisational data security. If this has inspired you to take a closer look at organising your digital clutter, check out this article to get started!  

Source:

New Atlas