Personal Digital Archiving and Catastrophic Data Loss: Is it Getting Better?

Abstract Given the changing landscape of personal computing, this study asks: (1) has the occurrence of personal catastrophic data loss improved with the maturity of digital technology and services, and (2) have the reasons for data loss changed with the maturing of digital technology? These questions are addressed through a qualitative content analysis of N = 136 participant responses from 2013 to 2022 to a question about their personal experience of data loss. The study finds that there is no decline over time in participant’s experience of data loss, and the reasons for data loss continue to be varied. Losing digital information endures as an unpleasant experience for today’s computing users, and personal digital archiving ought to be introduced to young people early on to avoid learning about data loss “the hard way.”