Our Lives, Digitalized: The Hard Copies of Yesteryear VS Data Today

If you grew up in the 90s, you probably still remember a lot of things like family pictures being hung up on the walls. Such old school ways of doing things have changed a lot. Sure – there may still be pictures on the wall, but chances are they were taken on your phone, printed out on your computer, and hung up in a matter of minutes. But life didn’t use to be this way. Even now, we can see that there are a lot of things fading away (like hard copies of books). It’s likely that in just a decade or two we will see even more of our lives become data on a digital screen rather than hard copies we keep with us or around the house.

There are a lot of things younger generations probably didn’t realize had hard copies. Here are just a few:

Recipes

You’ve probably seen recipe books in your grandma’s kitchen, and maybe even had one yourself at one point. But with the convenience of increased technology, most people have opted to keep all of their favorite recipes on their phone, computer, or iPad. It’s actually pretty awesome, especially if you have the data backed up elsewhere in case your favorite recipe gets a little out of hand next time around.

Photo Albums

Keeping your photos in the digital realm is an amazing way to preserve older photos and heirloom pictures. It can even be a great way to spread the photos around to family without having to give up the original. Most people back up photos rather than risk losing them when the computer finally breaks down. But there was a time when the only way to keep a picture around was to meticulously wedge it into protective covers and keep them on dust-free shelves.

Manuscripts

This may not sound like a big deal but think about those huge old volumes, gigantic novels, and even serial shorts. All of those used to be kept, single-copy in boxes. And in case that doesn’t sound impressive, consider that manuscripts have to be double-spaced, printed on one side only. The condensed, 1000+ page tome you already consider huge was easily double that size before publication. Which is why so many authors were relieved when you could finally digitize your manuscript. Even for those who post their stories or poems on a blog, you can use a WordPress backup to protect your posts. Fewer supplies and a lot more free space around the house!

Games & Movies

While it’s still very common to see folks buying games, DVDs, BluRay disks, and CDs, much of our entertainment is digital. You can pay to download your favorite games, movies, shows, songs – the list goes on. When you don’t have a physical copy, it can be easy to overlook how valuable your collection in. So keep in mind that some people are suing over Steam accounts during divorces! That’s why you should always keep backups of your downloads. You spend real money on real products, don’t risk losing it and having to pay again if your preferred device breaks!

There are tons of things that used to be done solely or mostly in hard copies. And while hard copies are super cool and can add an eclectic flair to your home, the fact is digital is a lot more convenient. With the right data back-up, you don’t have to worry about losing what’s already yours. What did you grow up with that switched to digital? Do you think it’s better or worse?

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