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We’ve all become data hoarders — Is it time to Marie Kondo our digital lives?
Inspired by the Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, I spent my new year decluttering my life. I threw out half of my wardrobe, and spent hours neatly folding only those which “spark joy”.
I wasn’t alone in this. Thousands in the UK spent the first month of the new year reorganising their belongings. Charity shops saw an increase in donations and people began flooding social media with their Marie Kondo inspired wardrobes.
It turns out organizing your physical belongings certainly feels good. I quickly felt the positive effects of restructuring my wardrobe. I can find things more easily because they’re always visible and the act of folding has become less miserable and more mindful. In fact, I’ve gotten multiple compliments for the state of my wardrobe, which is certainly a first.
Stunned by the effect of my decluttering, I couldn’t help but wonder about my digital clutter. Digital hoarding isn’t quite the same as physical hoarding. We all hoard photos and other files to some extent. As long as they are well sorted, they probably won’t get in the way.