Home organization blogs and social media groups are increasingly advising people to get rid of their printed photos and rely solely on digital versions, or to scan and then discard the original images. That’s right—some are even suggesting that prints, which may be decades or over a century old, be thrown away!
While this may seem like a smart way to reduce clutter, the idea hasn’t been fully thought through.
What does technology from 1924 and 2024 have in common? Well, nothing really, and that is the point of this post.
The way we listen to music, watch television and movies, even book plane tickets have drastically changed over the decades. Media formats have become obsolete, rendering our 8 track and cassette tape collections unusable. Even cd players aren’t all that common!
As time and technology evolve, one thing endures: printed material. Photographs, books, and artwork have withstood the test of time, avoiding the fate of extinction that other media formats have faced.
Digitizing photos carries the risk that one day the media format may become unreadable or even corrupted, leading to the loss of those memories forever. While the idea of updating your photo storage with each technological advancement is well-intentioned, it’s unlikely you’ll consistently keep up with it.
Having digital backups can provide peace of mind in case printed photos are damaged by events like natural disasters. However, for the reasons mentioned, relying solely on digital storage is not the best way to safeguard your memories and preserve your family legacy.
