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Why now is the time to digitize your Memories

BY READERS DIGEST

2nd Feb 2020 Life

Why now is the time to digitize your Memories

Drinking wine and completing jigsaw puzzles is one way to spend the endless hours at home during the coronavirus pandemic, with baking and DIY projects also proving popular.

But if you are looking for something more meaningful to do in self-isolation, you should consider digging out your old shoebox and digitizing your memories.

There has never been a better time to bring your memories into the 21st century, with digitizing photos, videos and letters providing some huge benefits.

Protect your memories with digital copies

Safeguarding your precious memories is the biggest benefit of digitizing photos, letters and tapes with sentimental footage.

Remember to make a couple of backups of your digitized memories - you don’t want to do all that hard work for nothing.

Make old memories new again

Digitizing your old shoebox of memories might sound like a tedious chore, however it provides a healthy dose of nostalgia to make the time pass quickly.

It is almost impossible to digitize your old photos, videos and letters, and not be flooded with an array of emotions as you discover forgotten moments from your past.

There are also some good laughs to be had at dubious hairstyles and fashion choices.

Declutter your house

If you’re not too sentimentally attached to the physical photos, tapes and letters, you can throw them in the bin and reap the rewards of your labour.

With digital copies and backups of your memories, there’s no need to become a hoarder and fill up your storage again.

Marie Kondo eat your heart out.

Kill the time during self-isolation

If you’re considering digitzing your memories, you could be in for a big task - especially when your family finds out and wants all their content added too.

While the task might be time consuming, it will be hard to not feel the therapeutic benefits once finished.

Plus, many of us will have the time to fill during the COVID pandemic.

Share precious memories with loved ones

You have gone to all the effort digitizing your life, so don’t forget about them. Having digital copies means you easily share them with your friends and family online.

If you’ve had enough digital interactions, you could also wait until the lockdown is lifted and host a watching party where your family and friends visit the past together.

Keep your story alive long after you’ve gone.

Hoping your shoebox of memories will be handed down through the generations of your family is wishful at best - it’s hard to imagine your children’s children using a VCR in 2065.


Having digital copies future-proofs your memories for your lifetime and for years to come, with files easily transferred and uploaded.

Undeniable convenience

You and an old friend are talking about your high school days and you decide to dig out some old photos.

Digitizing your memories makes it convenient and accessible to find a photo with the click of a few buttons, instead of digging through your storage.

And smart TVs and connected devices in the home mean you can share these memories like never before. 

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