Storing too many digital items on your devices could be a sign of a disorder, experts say

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Picture this: thousands of screenshots, unopened texts and emails, and an impending notification that your phone’s storage is almost full. For many, this is the new reality in the digital age.

But experts say if your device is filled with too much digital clutter, it can affect your mental health and productivity.

D., a clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. “This is something that triggers a lot of stress and anxiety; the collection of emails, pictures, open tabs — so many digital elements that trigger overload,” Susan Albers said.

“The interesting thing is that this is not the kind of problem that our ancestors faced, but fast forward to today, our daily lives are really plagued with a lot of digital clutter,” he added.

Anyone who owns a digital device will likely encounter this type of clutter at some point. But sometimes this common behavior can turn into a disorder that more researchers are trying to understand: digital hoarding.

Worried you might be saving too much money on your devices? Here’s how to reduce digital clutter and know when you’re showing signs of a disorder, according to experts.

If you’re having to scroll through thousands of photos or files to find what you need, or if you’re experiencing less concentration and mental energy than usual, it could be a sign that you have too much digital clutter, Albers said.

“Digital clutter is just as stressful as actual clutter in our physical world,” he said. “Our brains are really predisposed to prefer clarity and simplicity over chaos, and having a million tabs open can feel that way.”

He added that digital clutter can also be seen as a constant stream of notifications, which can distract your focus and slow your concentration.

Maybe you want to preserve your memories through pictures or hold on to unnecessary documents and files from college classes or old jobs, just in case. D., clinical professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. But sometimes, when the behavior turns into storing large amounts of information, it can be considered hoarding, Emanuel Maidenberg said.

“It becomes a habit that stems from anxiety, and that’s when it becomes challenging and difficult. “It’s about the fear of needing this information at some point in the future, but not being able to access it and not knowing where to find it,” said Maidenberg, who is also director of the UCLA Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Clinic.

He added that digital hoarding disorder would be fueled by a persistent urge to save digital information rather than a more flexible storage “preference.”

D., a psychiatrist and director of clinical and research affairs in Boston. Sanjaya Saxena said it is estimated that about 3% to 5% of the global population (about 8 million to 12 million people in the United States) suffers from hoarding disorder. based at the International OCD Foundation.

hoarding Thought to be related to obsessive compulsive disorder and a 2019 study A survey of hundreds of adults in the UK found this behavior is common in the workplace. 2020 follow-up study He found four different types of digital hoarding: those that are organized, those that are disorganized, those that store digital information on behalf of their companies, and those that keep it outside of strong emotional ties and often worry about losing it.

Saxena added that whether storing digital clutter becomes a disorder depends on the individual, but a key factor is whether it causes significant distress or impairment in daily functioning.

How do you know if you’re experiencing digital hoarding? If clutter takes up so much space on your devices that you can’t store other things you need, or if wading through the clutter means “taking away time from other necessary activities or social activities or interfering with your life,” Saxena said it could be a sign of overacquisition of digital material.

“Decluttering is like a magic wand for your mental health,” Albers said. For those struggling to declutter, she suggests spending a few minutes each morning doing a digital audit, deleting emails and other notifications that aren’t needed. If you take a few minutes to declutter before you start working, “this will make the rest of your day much more productive.”

Here are some other tips for reducing digital clutter and how it impacts your day, according to Albers:

1. Turn off unnecessary notifications and unsubscribe from ads clogging up your emails. “It’s almost like mental mosquitoes. They’re always buzzing,” Albers said. By limiting the number of notifications, you limit their ability to take away your focus when you need it.

2. Set boundaries: Minimize the time you spend checking your emails and social media notifications, and use your device’s mute and do not disturb features at other times. He also added that limiting the number of accounts you follow on social media can reduce clutter in your feed and the time you spend mindlessly scrolling.

3. Take a digital detox day, or at least set aside time during the day when you’re not tuned into your digital world, which can help you feel less overwhelmed by clutter and constant notifications, she said. Maidenberg said making a plan for how to tackle digital clutter and making a commitment to reduce clutter a little each day or not keep more than is needed can help people who struggle with digital hoarding.

If you find yourself impacting school or work (e.g. turning in assignments late), having trouble sleeping at night due to overwhelm, or feeling detached from relationships, these may be signs of serious distress and it may be time to see a professional. Albers said he is a mental health professional.

“We all deal with digital clutter more than we think,” he said, “and I think (decluttering) is a simple way to do it, if we just put some time into it, the payoff will be huge for our productivity and overall happiness.”