According to recently completed study done by CEA, Americans are still not backing up their digital photos, music, documents or other types of files. Results of the study, Amassing Digital Fortunes: A Digital Storage Study, show that nearly one in three consumers don’t see the need to back up their files, while nearly a quarter (22%) say they aren’t backing up files because it’s too time-consuming. The study claims the average U.S. adult has 1,800 digital files, totaling 310 billion digital files nationwide. With an additional 1,060 being added per user in 2008, the total number is expected to hit just under 500 billion by the end of the year.
Regarding where the responsibility falls for providing better education for consumers on this issue, at least one industry analyst thinks imaging retail should take the lead. “Retailers are the ones who can drive the realization that digital images are not going to last forever on hard drives. I think people are ready to be smarter about storage, and to invest in other options. We saw the use of external hard drives for picture storage grow from 13 percent to 20 percent in the last year. 47 percent of (digital photo enthusiasts) are storing on CD,” said Liz Cutting, Senior Imaging Analyst for the NPD Group.
Sean Murphy, CEA’s Senior Account Manager, Market Research simply feels it’s a problem that isn’t going to go away on its own. “Today, the average online adult owns nearly 1,800 digital files and that number is expected to increase by over 1,000 per user by next year. In light of this explosion of content, the question of how consumers store their digital content will only grow more important each day.”
The complete study is available free to CEA members. Nonmembers may purchase the study at eBrain.org. Look for our special section – Image Storage/Organization: Consumers are Screaming for Help – in the June issue of Picture Business.
