28/09/2025

ON SUNDAY September 28, 2025 theSunday Special XII

Many Malaysians struggle with managing inbox overload.

10 steps to declutter your digital life Digital clutter can be as overwhelming as a physical mess. Here’s a concise checklist to help readers regain control over their digital spaces: 1. Unsubscribe from unnecessary emails Regularly remove yourself from mail ing lists that no longer serve you. 2. Delete unused apps If an app hasn’t been used in the past month, consider uninstalling it. 3. Organise files into folders Create a logical folder structure to store documents, photos and other files. 4. Clear out the downloads folder Regularly delete or move files from the downloads folder to prevent buildup. 5. Manage photos and videos Delete duplicates and blurry images; back up important media to cloud storage. 6. Review and clean up contacts Merge duplicate contacts and remove outdated information. 7. Limit notifications Adjust app settings to reduce un necessary alerts and interruptions. 8. Update passwords Use a password manager to create and store strong, unique passwords. 9. Archive old messages Move old emails and messages to archives to declutter your inbox. 10.Schedule regular maintenance Set monthly reminders to review and clean your digital spaces. Implementing these steps can lead to improved focus, reduced stress and enhanced productivity.

Y OU probably don’t need 8,000 screenshots. Or five nearly identical versions of the same selfie. Or a WhatsApp group from 2017 called “Cousins KL BBQ” that hasn’t had a message in six years. But here we are: scrolling through cluttered galleries, promising ourselves we’ll clean up one day, then taking ten more photos of the cat instead. Welcome to the age of digital hoarding ± ZKHUH RXU VWRUDJH PLJKW EH LQ¿QLWH EXW our peace of mind isn’t. Unlike physical clutter, digital mess doesn’t trip you in the hallway or block WKH NLWFKHQ VLQN ,W KLGHV LQ ¿OHV IROGHUV downloads and cloud backups. You don’t see the chaos until you’re searching for a document and end up with six versions WLWOHG ³),1$/ ¿QDO '21( GRF´ In Malaysia, where mobile phone penetration is among the highest in the region, we are quietly carrying the weight of our digital pasts everywhere we go. 6FKRRO 3')V J\P URXWLQHV IURP ten thousand unread emails, screenshots of recipes we’ll never cook. It’s the new invisible clutter. Why do we keep it all? Psychologists say digital hoarding stems from the same instinct as physical hoarding: fear of loss. What if I need that e-wallet refund receipt from 2019? What if I want to reread that joke my friend sent during MCO? T KH GL̆ HUHQFH LV GLJLWDO VSDFH IHHOV limitless. There’s no visual punishment. Your cupboard won’t burst open. Your phone just buys more cloud storage. But the result is the same: anxiety, decision fa tigue and the occasional digital meltdown when Google Photos reminds you of your haircut phase from ten years ago. Let’s not forget the social media save buttons. We save things to read, to watch, to try, to remember. But do we? Or are we just stashing dopamine hits we’ll never come back to? Some digital hoarders admit to saving entire YouTube playlists they’ll never watch or bookmarking articles they’ll never read. It’s the modern version of piling newspapers in the corner – just less visible. The emotional toll of virtual clutter Many Malaysians now report feeling over whelmed by their digital lives. Multiple

Digital hoarding is real

BY SIMON VELLA

HPDLO DFFRXQWV DSS QRWL¿FDWLRQV FORXG backups and chat archives are creating D VHQVH RI PHQWDO QRLVH (YHQ FKRRVLQJ a photo to post becomes an ordeal when you have 400 to scroll through. U QOLNH FOHDQLQJ D URRP ZKLFK R̆ HUV visible satisfaction, digital decluttering feels thankless. There’s no applause for deleting 600 blurry concert videos. No one VHHV WKH H̆ RUW %XW WKH ZHLJKW OLIWV $ OLWWOH Anecdotally, some who’ve done digital detoxes – deleting apps, cleaning inboxes, archiving chats – report better focus, sleep DQG HYHQ LPSURYHG PRRGV /HVV EX]]LQJ less checking, more calm. ' igital clutter also spills into our work lives. How many of us are paralysed by overloaded desktops, jumbled folders DQG D JUDYH\DUG RI IRUJRWWHQ 3')V" ,W contributes to procrastination, lost pro ductivity and the feeling of being mentally swamped. T KH LOOXVLRQ RI Ḣ FLHQF\ The irony is that technology was supposed to make life simpler. But the more tools we use to organise our lives – notes apps, calendars, cloud backups, reminders – the more we scatter our attention. The clutter isn’t just visual; it’s cognitive.

What starts as a good intention turns into a digital junk drawer. Five to-do list DSSV (LJKW WDEV RSHQ 'R]HQV RI VFUHHQ shots of things we thought were important at the time, but now can’t even identify. N RWLILFDWLRQV SOD\ D UROH WRR (DFK ping demands a sliver of attention and over time, this drip-feed of digital stimuli chips away at our ability to focus. We live in a perpetual state of semi-engagement, ÀLFNLQJ EHWZHHQ DSSV DQG WDVNV UDUHO\ ¿QLVKLQJ DQ\WKLQJ SURSHUO\ What can we do? The solution isn’t to go completely R̈ LQH )HZ RI XV KDYH WKDW OX[XU\ QRU would we want to. But we can be more GHOLEHUDWH 'LJLWDO GHFOXWWHULQJ GRHVQ¶W have to be drastic. Start with small wins: delete 10 photos a day, clear your down loads folder, unsubscribe from three email lists. Choose one day a week to clean up your desktop. Set time limits for social media and commit to actually reading or deleting VDYHG FRQWHQW 5HQDPH \RXU ¿OHV SURSHUO\ 7XUQ R̆ QRWL¿FDWLRQV WKDW GRQ¶W VHUYH \RX Most importantly, accept that not ev erything is worth saving. It’s okay to delete things. You’re not erasing memories; you’re making room to breathe.

Digital clutter accumulates quietly in our devices.