According to TheAtlantic.com, every day people upload more than 1.8 billion photos to the internet. The rapid increase in internet and technology use has caused a shift in the way memories are stored and shared. Photos are a major part of the preservation and sharing of memories. Digital photo albums are better for organization, sharing, and the environment. 

Digital photo albums make the organization and sharing of memories simpler. The amount of experience you have with technology becomes irrelevant when you use digital albums because they are designed and programmed to be simple to understand and use. The process of uploading photos to your albums has even gotten easier. All you have to do is upload them from your phone or SD card and then your photos are ready to be stored or shared. Once the photos are uploaded, they can be shared and viewed by friends and family around the world.

There are many environmental consequences caused by the printing industry according to Medium.com. The printing industry has contributed to the grave state of the environment today. This includes major contributions to air pollution, handling and disposing of hazardous materials, waste management, and energy use. During the printing process volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released into the air as a result of the use of solvents. These have been traced back to the press-room where ink, cleaning, and fountain solution are used. When solvent based ink dries onto a surface the solvent, usually a VOC, is released. After printing takes place, presses must have extra ink removed from them to prevent damage. These cleaning chemicals are usually high is solvent too. Fountain solution is used in lithographic printing. Lithographic printing is when an image is produced on a plate and ink is applied to it to then be printed on other surfaces. Fountain solution is used on the non image areas to make sure that the oil does not stick to it. Isopropyl alcohol is mainly used for this and it releases VOCs when it dries. The levels of toxicity released from these materials pose a massive environmental threat that contributes to global warming and the poisoning and death of nature. 

While for many years it has been a tradition to sit down with family members when they visit and enjoy the nostalgia while flipping through albums, digital albums can evoke the same feeling more often allowing for more memories to be made and added at any time. Also, the big, bulky albums take up large amounts of storage space and tend to collect dust between family visits. The rarity of flipping through a photo album can be fun, but of keeping track of and updating albums can be a major hassle.