We live among the most photographed generation in history. As technology has changed, it has become easy to fully rely on digital storage of our memories. If you’re like me, you have thousands (and thousands) of photos on your cloud storage. Every holiday, get-together, and milestone is stored digitally or shared online somehow. We have access to these images from anywhere in the world. They take up little space and help us to keep our homes clutter-free. So why are more and more people printing their images, and should you print yours too?

If you’re still undecided, I have two very good reasons to consider.

As we know, technology keeps changing. Today we have hard drives and the cloud but it wasn’t long ago that CDs were considered to be a good backup option. Years from now, will we, our children or grandchildren have access to our cloud storage or hard drives? Who knows. But there is a definite risk of losing our digital data as technology advances. So yes, maintaining our backups as technology advances is important. But what happens when we have 20, 30, 40 years of digital information to back up? That is a lot of digital clutter to sort through. We will be happy if we’ve maintained printing our favorite images throughout the years so we know they will have the best chance of being able to provide a tangible connection from our generation to the ones to come.

We all want our kids to feel confident and build a strong connection to their families. According to studies, photographs are a valuable way for children to develop a sense of belonging, seeing themselves as a part of a family unit.

Does viewing these images digitally have the same impact on children? Studies show that when kids see images of themselves displayed in their physical space, where they live, it creates a stronger impression and sense of belonging. Growing up, seeing themselves surrounded by photos together with their loved ones helps them to learn where they fit into the world and promotes confidence in who they are.

From my own experience, I know it’s true that when you hold a print in your hands or flip through a beautiful album it creates a connection. Someone felt you were worthy to document and every time you flip through those physical images that strong love and connection is reinforced.

These are just two reasons that it is important to maintain a physical, printed record of your personal family history. Digital images are not going anywhere. They play an important role in connecting us with family and friends near and far. They also provide insurance that our favorite images, professional as well as family snapshots, are safe and secure. But we can not solely rely on digitals. Printed photographs can last multiple lifetimes and we want to take the time and effort to make sure they are around for generations.