Today with Claire Byrne Is it time for Digital Declutter?
Aug 20, 2025
Ciara O'Brien, a technology journalist with The Irish Times, shares her insights on the pressing issue of digital clutter. She discusses the struggle of achieving 'Inbox Zero' and the impact of email overload on our lives. The conversation moves to practical decluttering strategies, including managing unused apps and email subscriptions. Ciara emphasizes the environmental benefits of reducing digital footprints and offers tips for organizing photos and videos. The episode is packed with advice for streamlining digital files to enhance both performance and user experience.
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Personal Email Overload Confession
- Ciara kept many unread emails until adopting Inbox Zero and still occasionally slips back into hundreds unread.
- She now maintains much lower unread counts at home but carries 119,000 unread emails at work as a warning of how fast inboxes can explode.
Adopt Inbox Zero Habits
- Do process emails as they arrive: delete what you don't need, read what you must, and file the rest.
- Keep this routine to avoid unread mail mounting into thousands and becoming unmanageable.
Misdirected Personal Emails Happen
- Ciara receives other people's sensitive emails like dog-grooming reminders and blood test results due to wrong addresses.
- She contacted a doctor to correct a patient's email, showing privacy risks from misdirected mail.