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DIGITAL HOARDER
Why We Can’t Let Go of Useless Things (Even Digital Ones)
Why do we hoard unread books, old clothes, and 5,000 screenshots?
That PDF you downloaded in 2017 isn’t going to change your life. But go ahead, keep it. Just in case…
There’s a certain kind of modern shame that comes from realizing your phone storage is full — not because you’ve been doing anything impressive, but because you’ve inexplicably kept every screenshot, PDF, and mildly interesting recipe you’ve ever encountered.
And it’s not just digital.
- A closet full of clothes you might wear if you were suddenly invited to a gala.
- A bookshelf stacked with books you swear you’ll read — someday.
- A kitchen drawer (or two. Just me?) containing mystery cables that belong to gadgets you don’t even own anymore.
We’re all secret hoarders, clinging to things we don’t need for reasons we don’t fully understand.
So why is it so hard to let go?
Why Junk Is Easier to Keep Than Toss
First, let’s be honest: keeping things requires zero effort.
Getting rid of them? That means decisions. Emotional work. Facing the possibility that maybe we wasted time, money, or…
