The Uncertainty of Storing Memories: Reflections on Facebook and Family Photos

Recently, I stumbled upon a collection of unseen family photos while browsing my mom’s Facebook account. It was an unexpected emotional experience, sparked by images that serve as tangible connections to our past. For context, these specific pictures were only available on Facebook, as we lost many physical copies when we moved from the Philippines. It’s disheartening to think that memories could vanish in transit—or worse, vanish from the internet entirely.

As I marinate in nostalgia, a nagging fear has taken root in my mind: what if Facebook suddenly and inexplicably loses all of our family’s photos? I recognize that some of these images date back to 2008, which points to Facebook’s capability to store photos over the years. Still, the thought of a massive corporation like Meta potentially “mass-deleting” user data is unsettling.

This paranoia has begun to impact my daily life, diverting my focus from responsibilities to anxiously pondering, “How can I secure these precious memories?” and “What will I do if I lose them?”

Contradictory as it may be, I’m left wondering why, if many warn against relying on Facebook for long-term photo storage, I can still access these 17-year-old images. This raises a crucial question: how long can we realistically expect Meta to maintain and protect our cherished memories?

I understand the optimal approach is to save these photos on a trusted SSD or HDD and maintain backups. However, for the more recent photos (from 2015 onward), is it reasonable to assume that Facebook will continue to safeguard them? The sheer volume of 17 years’ worth of pictures is overwhelming, and my current storage space simply can’t accommodate them all.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this! How are you preserving your family memories, and do you feel comfortable relying on social media platforms for long-term storage? Thank you for sharing your insights!