When you stop to think about it, the way in which we rely on digital storage of information today is one of the most revolutionary things to have happened for hundreds of years.
In the past, having a physical copy of something was the way in which value was attached to belongings. Not only that but the actual material things people collected were seen as an extension of their personalities and reflected lifestyle choices.
Music
People who were serious about their love of music took a real pride in their record collections, often having special shelving to display their vinyl to best effect. Of course, even when CDs came along the spines of cases could be browsed to show how good (or bad) the taste of the owner was.
With mp3s becoming the de facto medium of music in the early 21st century, these displays have become little more than a small slideshow of tags on a smartphone screen.
Photos
Much the same can be said of photographs. Today we actually take more snaps and photos than ever before but only a tiny percentage are ever actually made into printed physical items.
Instead, visual records of our future memories lie on SD cards in phones, tablets and snap and shoot digital cameras. Digital photo frames can help display them but this is something still relatively new.
Loss
The fact that whole music collections can fit in our pockets and many albums worth of photos can be taken without the cost of buying and developing film shows just how far things have moved forward. The problem is that many of us forget that simply by losing a device or having a problem with the storage medium we use, all of these valuable ‘items’ can be lost in one fell swoop.
Backups
Of course the answer is quite straightforward – back up your data. It is the mantra of every computer advice column and IT department, but it is something that most of us neglect to do often enough.
The thing is it is easier than ever to make backups today. Using external hard drives by Toshiba is a simple way to keep all your data in one safe place, just as making regular use of writable DVDS can give you a truly physical medium to put somewhere safe and give you peace of mind.
The main thing to remember is that data is king. If you only have one copy of a picture or a favourite music track, the danger is that you could very easily lose it forever. So taking the time to make backup copies is an essential part of living a digital life to the full.
