Digital hoarding: Mental illness goes online

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• May 6, 2022

Insight summary

Digital hoarding, the excessive accumulation of digital files, is emerging as a serious concern, with consequences ranging from cybersecurity threats to environmental issues. Studies highlight the psychological attachment people can develop towards digital possessions and the disorderly datasets it creates in business environments, leading to a call for more structured digital landscapes through government regulations and new technological solutions. The phenomenon may encourage a societal shift towards mindful digital consumption, spurred by awareness campaigns and the advent of tools promoting digital minimalism.

Digital hoarding context

In the real world, a hoarding disorder is a psychological illness that affects those who amass an excessive number of objects or things to the point where they can no longer live a regular life. However, hoarding is becoming a problem within the digital world as well.

Hoarding is a relatively recent problem in terms of psychological analysis, with institutional research only conducted at significant levels since the 1970s and was only acknowledged as a formal mental disorder by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 2013. The subcategory of digital hoarding is a far newer phenomenon, with a 2019 study by the US National Library of Medicine suggesting that it could have similar negative mental effects upon a person as physical hoarding.
 
Due to the widespread accessibility of digital materials (files, images, music, applications, etc.) and the growing availability of low-cost data storage, digital hoarding is becoming an increasing problem. Studies have shown that people could become as attached to their non-physical possessions as they would to items from their childhood when they formed an integral part of their personality and self-identity. Even though digital hoarding does not interfere with personal living quarters, it can negatively influence everyday life. Digital hoarding, according to research, is a severe problem for businesses and other institutions as it creates disorder within their datasets and can have a harmful environmental impact.

Disruptive impact

Digital hoarding has become a relevant threat to the well-being of many organizations. It can lead to digital systems becoming overcrowded with non-critical data and files that could potentially represent a security threat to a given organization. If a digital file is altered by a hacker and then placed within a company’s data storage system, such a file could provide cybercriminals with a backdoor into the company’s digital systems. 

Furthermore, companies that lose client data due to hacking in the European Union may face substantial fines under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) standards. The environmental impact of digital hoarding results from more servers being required to store an organization or person’s materials, particularly cloud storage services. These server rooms require large amounts of energy to be operated, maintained, and cooled to the optimal operating temperature. 

The classification of digital hoarding as a mental disorder may lead to mental wellness organizations increasingly making their members and the public aware of the disorder. Knowledge can be provided to companies so that HR and IT functions can identify employees who exhibit traits resembling digital hoarding. Help can be sourced and provided for these employees if needed.

Implications of digital hoarding

Wider implications of digital hoarding may include:

• An increased cybersecurity risk for many companies, leading to companies dedicating more resources to cybersecurity but creating an opportunity cost for the organization.
• A rise in the number of government-sponsored awareness campaigns about the mental and environmental dangers of digital hoarding, fostering a more informed populace and spurring a societal shift towards more mindful and sustainable digital consumption habits.
• Social media companies creating new file types that can be set to exist only for a limited period before being deleted, encouraging users to be more deliberate about the content they create and share, which could potentially foster a digital environment that is less cluttered and more focused on quality rather than quantity.
• The creation of a new niche within the professional organizer profession that specializes in helping individuals and organizations organize and clean out their digital data hoards.
• A surge in the demand for digital minimalism tools and services, leading to a more competitive market that drives companies to develop user-friendly solutions that cater to a wide demographic.
• A shift in business models with companies offering premium services for data storage and organization, leading to a potential increase in revenue streams.
• A potential increase in governmental regulations on data storage and management, leading to a more structured and secure digital landscape.
• A heightened focus on the development of energy-efficient data centers to mitigate the environmental impact of digital hoarding, leading to a more sustainable digital ecosystem but potentially increasing the initial investment costs for companies.
• A change in educational curricula to include digital literacy and organization skills, fostering a generation that is adept at managing digital resources efficiently.
• A potential rise in research and development initiatives aimed at creating sustainable data storage solutions such as DNA data storage, leading to a reduction in the environmental impact of data centers but possibly encountering ethical dilemmas and regulatory hurdles.

Questions to consider

• What role should non-governmental organizations play in raising awareness of digital hoarding?
• Do you think you’re guilty of some form of digital hoarding in your personal or work life?