Undoubtedly, many of us, opening our Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok or any other social network account and consulting the saved files section, would find dozens of saved but forgotten links to articles, videos and other documents. This action can be called “bookmarking”: a process during which we can save various online contents and then easily find them in the same place. But how come we save and accumulate so much without ever returning to them?
Do we know the purpose of saving these links?
When considering the act of bookmarking in the context of a conscious choice to save information viewed online, it may be related to a deliberate decision and intention to use the saved link in the future. This indicates that the user wants to systematize and organize information so that it can be easily found and used according to their needs.
However, today there is a growing risk and tendency to accumulate large amounts of information: various social content, links to websites or e-mails that are often stored in an unorganized manner and without a specific purpose. This behavior has already been named by psychologists and researchers: “digital hoarding”.
Hoarding as an action is not new to researchers, as there have always been people who accumulate books, receipts, and many other physical objects. However, these habits are gradually moving to the digital realm and becoming a new challenge. Constantly saving emails, reels, and articles may seem harmless, but it can lead to uncontrollable behavior and more serious consequences than it seems at first glance.
What drives hoarding of digital material?
Saving certain content and never returning to it is a familiar experience for many, but it is usually not a serious problem. However, the increasingly uncontrollable desire – or emerging compulsion – to constantly save everything you see online that piques your interest may stem from underlying psychological issues.
First, when a person encounters certain items, they often do not control their decision and choose to save the content. They often feel that not saving it will cause anxiety, discomfort, and doubt whether they will need the material in the future, but when the time comes, they may not have access to the necessary information.
The second reason why digital content is often hoarded is emotional attachment. This reason is most closely related to personal files, such as emails or photos, where it is difficult to let go because the person feels a sense of loss.
How do you know if you are a digital collector?
Dr. Richard Brown outlines five signs that can help determine if one of us is a digital hoarder. First, it’s the constant accumulation of digital material, such as a full inbox or disorganized saved files, with the idea that they might be needed. Second, you don’t delete unused material that was saved but never looked at. Third, it’s difficult to find what you need among the abundance of saved files. Fourth, there’s an emotional attachment that makes it difficult to delete unused files. Fifth, you save files across multiple platforms or devices to ensure access.
Last word
Although hoarding physical or digital documents may seem harmless and is an almost universal behavior, everyone should carefully consider whether the information stored is necessary and whether it will be useful and needed in the future.
Écrit par Agnė Vaishnoraitė
Sources: UCLA Health, Psychology Today
Originally published in The European Times.
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