The study of 2,000 adults found younger generations are more concerned about forgetting memories and events than any other age group, with over a third claiming it’s why they don’t delete their images.
Similarly, more than a third of 18 to 24-year-olds have been more conscious of preserving their memories since the arrival of the pandemic.
A whopping 97 per cent of all adults surveyed admitted they keep old photos tucked away in online cloud services – with the average person only returning to view old images once a month.
That’s despite claiming looking at old images makes them feel more positive (50 per cent), calmer (24 per cent) and loved (21 per cent).
With an additional third of people saying looking at past memories helps to brighten their day.
The research was commissioned by Fujifilm, which is encouraging people to unlock hidden memories trapped inside their cameras.
Daria Kuss, an Associate Psychologist at Nottingham Trent University, said: “The pandemic has undoubtedly affected the way we interact with technology, with more of us using it to support our everyday lives in various ways.
“This research shows that it’s the younger generation who feel most concerned about the effect of the pandemic on their memories and so are using technology – specifically their phones – to capture and hoard images to help them preserve everyday moments.
“Photographs come with emotional ties and they can transport us back to a moment in time, which can have a positive impact on our mental wellbeing.
“Image hoarding doesn’t allow us to reap these benefits though.
“Instead, I would recommend displaying photos around the house, and viewing the images you have stored regularly, as this research has showed that looking at your photos makes you feel more positive, calmer and loved.”
While younger adults may be the worst culprits for image-hoarding, they’re not the only ones
