billdietrich1 t1_itbi7bp wrote
Article doesn't really make much of a case that it's a "problem". Causes more anxiety, okay. I suppose someone could spend a lot of money on storage, interfering with the rest of their life. But it's not really a health or sanitary risk as in a lot of physical-hoarding situations, where someone accumulates a house full of crap (literally or figuratively).
In most of these cases, when the person dies, their inheritors will have to deal with the situation. And a digital "discard" is much easier than a physical one.
fingletingle t1_itbohud wrote
The other main issue the article neglects to mention is the time and attention that can be spent sifting the good data from the bad. Hoarders tend to be poor organizers. I've seen digital hoarders talk about losing important files and photos in the morass of crap they've saved off of the internet for example. Sure, deleting someone's files after they die is easy, but what if you need to FIND important files related to their estate and can't?
Digital hoarding and lack of organization can also have strong ties to internet and media addiction.
I do agree that in general it is far less problematic than physical hoarding though and I think most people would agree as well. It doesn't mean it isn't a significant problem for some people.
e: This self-admitted data hoarder talking about unhoarding his late mother's home really brings the differences into focus. It's interesting there's a family connection of hoarding tendencies, though the poster makes it clear his files are well organized.
Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments