Where will the information go?

A shift has happened. It happened gradually. More people becoming more computer savvy has led to more people signing up for and using their own social media accounts. Social media provides a valuable service: it’s a network where local information is shared; a place where users can keep up with the lives of family and friends spread far and wide.

But there’s a problem inherent in social media, and that problem has to do with the future.

If social media is the only platform where local information and achievements are shared, where will that information be 50 years from now? Where will it be 100 years from now? Where will the photos of a child’s championship sports team be? The images of a school project that benefits the community or a church’s youth group’s mission trip abroad?

Where will the evidence of our way of life be in a century?

Social media is about the present. While there are great repositories of data existing on servers across the world, the future of that data, consisting of a community’s images, documents, etc., is unclear. Will there be a searchable archive for historians to access, or will all that proof of generations’ lives and ways of lives exist at all?

It’s an interesting concept to ponder. And, truly, only time will tell.

In the meantime, we encourage residents of Beaufort County to continue sending us your celebrations and events; your photos of school field trips and church picnics; and reaching out to us about news that affects this community. These — and more — are the things that shape a community and a way of life.

The Washington Daily News archives are at the Brown Library in Washington. They’ll likely still be there 100 years from now, with today’s news included. Help us make sure this generation’s accomplishments are documented for future generations to come.