#164 Digital hoarding and digital clutter with Dr Jan Eppingstall

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In this episode, I'm joined by Dr Jan Eppingstall, a counsellor with a PhD in hoarding, to discuss the phenomenon of digital hoarding, where people accumulate excessive digital items.

We'll explore the emotional responses to losing digital content, the organisational and environmental implications of digital clutter, and strategies for managing our ever-growing digital lives.

From the nostalgic pull of old photos to the overwhelming influx of emails, this conversation reveals the surprising similarities between physical and digital hoarding.

• Introduction to Digital Hoarding
• Definition of digital hoarding
• Comparison with physical hoarding, highlighting similar stress, anxiety, and attachment.
• Emotional Responses to Digital Loss
• Non-hoarders experiencing emotions like anger and anxiety over losing digital items.
• Technological Advancements and Digital Storage
• The proliferation of digital content creation, especially digital photos.
• Impact of technology on creating and storing digital content.
• Historical context of storage limitations versus current capabilities.
• Broader Implications of Digital Hoarding
• Extending beyond photos and videos to emails, subscriptions, and digital accounts.
• Cybersecurity risks and financial costs associated with digital hoarding.
• Reasons we retain digital content.
• Emotional Attachment and Digital Data
• Emotional ties to digital items like photos and documents.
• Reflecting identity and memory triggers in digital possessions.
• Digital Organisation Strategies
• Host's impeccably organised digital life contrasted with a cluttered home.
• Tiago Forte's PARA method for prioritising digital items.
• Inbox Zero and maintaining an organised email setup.
• Challenges of Digital Clutter
• Volume over efficiency: issues accessing necessary information despite organised files.
• Parallels between digital and physical hoarding behaviours.
• Digital Inefficiency and Environmental Impact
• Wasted time, reduced focus, and productivity issues due to digital clutter.
• Significant carbon footprint of data centres and environmental concerns.
• Strategies for Managing Digital Clutter
• Reducing digital intake by unsubscribing from unnecessary emails and content.
• Advice on stopping excessive bookmarking and managing browser tabs.
• Importance of setting up email filters to streamline email management.
• Creating physical keepsakes from special digital photos for meaningful interaction.
• Permission Slip Segment
• Discussion on evaluating difficult-to-discard items for sentimental or practical reasons.