Those houses piled to the ceiling with junk manifest a serious problem. The hoarding is the result of a mental disorder, and is not easily cured. The piles and piles of magazines and newspapers present a fire hazard, the debris often houses vermin, the piles obstruct access by rescue workers, and the weight of the junk can threaten the structural integrity of the building.
Here's a bit on the subject I found at the website for Mindful Things, which summarizes news in the field of psychology:
Many elderly woman who have never married and who live alone tend to hoard. They accumulate so many possessions that living space becomes unliveable. Those who never married hoarded the most, which the Boston researchers thought might be related to a greater attachment to possessions. The women, who had a form of mental disorder, collected mostly old newspapers, containers and miscellaneous paper, and kept it in the living room, dining room, kitchen, bedroom and sometimes the bathroom. The accumulated possessions created a fire hazard, unsanitary conditions and represented a threat of falls. Involuntary cleaning was not a viable solution, according to the researchers. Since hoarding springs from problems processing information and of emotional attachment, false beliefs about possessions, and avoidance, treatment should focus on modifying those things.
The site also had this summary, which just proves how accurate it must be:
Internet users have a distinct psychological profile. According to new research, they're more trusting of others, more accepting of political and social diversity, and are more open, tolerant, optimistic and literate than those who don't use the Internet. They're more likely to support nontraditional roles for women and homosexuality, although on issues like interracial marriage and teenage sex, no clear differences emerged. To gather the data, researchers interviewed 2,300 people in their homes for approximately 90 minutes.
