More memory, more memories? Nope.

As most of the TV I consume these days is streaming, I don’t see nearly as many commercials as I used to. But sports are different, and I happened to see this ad from Apple during the NBA playoffs—and maybe because of what I do for a living, I couldn’t get it out of my mind:

How did this “Don’t Let Me Go’ ad make you feel? My guesses: guilty (about possibly deleting photos of someone you love!), hopeful (about not having to delete those photos anymore!), and maybe even nostalgic (“awww, remember all those special moments I’ve captured?!”)…

But before you go upping your device memory, consider that it’s not just money you’ll be spending to avoid inconvenience—it’s memory-keeping capital. Let me explain…

Where’d all my good pix go?

There are a whole bunch of huge numbers illustrating how we take so many more photos these days, especially since the advent of digital cameras—but, from my perspective, the numbers are so ridiculously large that it’s hard to even grasp their magnitude (1.5 trillion photos were taken in 2022, for example). But here’s one statistic that says something beyond the scale it measures:

Approximately 4.5 trillion photos are stored on Google Photos, with 28 billion uploaded each week, but most are never viewed, according to data from Google.

While I can’t grasp those numbers—28 billion pictures a week!!!—I am not surprised by that last morsel: Most of those photos stored on our phones are NEVER VIEWED!

You know what might actually be surprising, though? It’s not just the pictures of the paperback you might want to buy or the cheesy pizza you just Snapped that go unviewed—it’s the ones of your grandchild at the playground and your mom blowing out her birthday candles…the ones that hold special memories. That’s because those photos are lost amidst the digital clutter. They’re sitting on a device that you use to keep creating more and more content, without curating it. And when the photos are lost, the memories just might be, too.

Skip the guilt and say goodbye to some photos!

Despite how the folks at Apple want you to feel—guilty for deleting pictures of those you love!! privileged enough to just buy more memory and store ALL your photos for all time!!—I say: Forget the guilt. It’s much better to be intentional about what photos we save than to just mindlessly add a photo (or 20) a day to an endless scroll.

Back in 2015 I blogged about what to do if you are a “photo hoarder”—and, I must say, the post seems almost quaint now. Almost 10 years on and pretty much everyone I know is a photo hoarder, but our devices and the services that power them have made it not only easy but acceptable. Don’t buy in.

What will you gain if, instead of hoarding your digital photos, you cull through them semi-regularly and delete what’s not worth saving?

First off, you won’t have to spring for the extra money to increase your device storage (even if it seems like a negligible amount to you, it’s not always worth it).
Secondly, you will be creating a photo legacy that is BOTH manageable and special. Trust me, I’ve seen the flip side all too often with clients and friends: A parent or loved one passes away, and the mess of stuff, both physical and digital, is so overwhelming that much of it ends up in the trash. Think it won’t happen to you? Read this (please).
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, you will be able to access, enjoy, and share your photo memories in ways that are easy and that bring joy!

So, where do I begin…?

While my intent today was mostly about getting you to think more deeply about this topic, of course, if it resonates, the next logical step is for you to take some action. Here’s some help:

want to use your photos to document memories?

want to decrease the number of photos you have?

If the DIY route isn’t your thing, consider hiring a professional photo manager to help you get your family photo library under control. You can search for a pro near you here, or if you’re in the greater NY/NJ/CT area, drop me a note and I can refer you to a trusted colleague.