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What Are the Important Papers and Memories You Want to Protect?

This is a disaster preparedness question for everyone — are you willing to give up sex?

In all the disaster preparedness presentations I’ve done, I’ve discussed the topic of having a “go kit” with one element being your important papers. A twist on that is what about memories that come from photos and other memorabilia?

Today, much of life is documented digitally. Thus, it is no surprise that people put a high value on their digital tools and data.

I thought this article was of interest: “2 in 3 People Say the Most Painful Thing They Could Lose Is Stored Digitally.”

A few highlights:

  • Two in 3 people consider their phone or computer their most valuable digital asset, making digital assets most important to respondents. 
  • Forty-seven percent of respondents admit they have digital property that would be very painful to lose, but is not currently backed up. 
  • When asked which apps people would be frustrated to lose personal data from, Facebook was the first choice — by a lot. 
  • Forty-four percent of respondents said they would give up sex for a year to avoid losing all of their digital property. 
  • Seventeen percent of respondents have text messages from a past relationship they are saving and would be upset to lose. 

Personally, I’m not too sure about the 44 percent number myself.
Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.