#notes/technology #notes/mental-health

Digital Minimalism : Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World

by Cal Newport

Summary

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestseller "Newport is making a bid to be the Marie Kondo of technology: someone with an actual plan for helping you realize the digital pursuits that do, and don't, bring value to your life."--Ezra Klein, Vox Minimalism is the art of knowing how much is just enough. Digital minimalism applies this idea to our personal technology. It's the key to living a focused life in an increasingly noisy world. In this timely and enlightening book, the bestselling author of Deep Work introduces a philosophy for technology use that has already improved countless lives. Digital minimalists are all around us. They're the calm, happy people who can hold long conversations without furtive glances at their phones. They can get lost in a good book, a woodworking project, or a leisurely morning run. They can have fun with friends and family without the obsessive urge to document the experience. They stay informed about the news of the day, but don't feel overwhelmed by it. They don't experience "fear of missing out" because they already know which activities provide them meaning and satisfaction. Now, Newport gives us a name for this quiet movement, and makes a persuasive case for its urgency in our tech-saturated world. Common sense tips, like turning off notifications, or occasional rituals like observing a digital sabbath, don't go far enough in helping us take back control of our technological lives, and attempts to unplug completely are complicated by the demands of family, friends and work. What we need instead is a thoughtful method to decide what tools to use, for what purposes, and under what conditions. Drawing on a diverse array of real-life examples, from Amish farmers to harried parents to Silicon Valley programmers, Newport identifies the common practices of digital minimalists and the ideas that underpin them. He shows how digital minimalists are rethinking their relationship to social media, rediscovering the pleasures of the offline world, and reconnecting with their inner selves through regular periods of solitude. He then shares strategies for integrating these practices into your life, starting with a thirty-day "digital declutter" process that has already helped thousands feel less overwhelmed and more in control. Technology is intrinsically neither good nor bad. The key is using it to support your goals and values, rather than letting it use you. This book shows the way.

My review

TL;DR: overall, I do recommend the book, but not as an all-time lifesaver, but rather as something to help you reflect more on your own phone use. there are exercises to help kick start that reflection, but for the best experience read this as a philosophy book, not a self-help book. If you're interested in learning how to be more intentional with your free time, this book is for you regardless of your digital habits. More thoughts 👇

I don't agree with everything that this book said, and I don't like it when digital vs analog arguments meanly pit digital vs analog activities against each other as if that's the solution to things, a totally binary view of how the world works... for example, there's a whole part of a chapter arguing that board games are more fulfilling social interaction than online video games, but it hits only the surface level of those types of arguments and doesn't dive deeper into building friendships or relationships or community in either case. these are both valid social activities that each provide a different kind of social meaning, depending on how much you engage and how frequently. also, they're completely different kinds of gaming. saying one is better than the other is weird to me. I call bullshit on those black and white arguments and this book is full of them.

however, the text provides philosophy, history, psychology, and other contexts for various human needs that are extremely interesting and worth reading. you won't agree with everything and you might actually think it's insulting in some ways, but there is still a lot of value to be found in here.

Even in the binary arguments pitting this vs that, the author still often recognizes that you can use digital means to support your non-digital lifestyle. for example, use Facebook to find events so that you can go to them and meet new people. use text to logistically communicate with your friends so you can enjoy experiences together. to be clear, this is not an anti-technology argument.

many of the exercises in the book are things I do regularly, not one time as needed, but seasonally and in cycles. since the author has different values than I do I didn't agree with all the reasoning, but it was validating to see stuff I do used as a "recommendation," and if you read this book I suggest thinking of how you can integrate these exercises into your technology routine too. not as a one-time thing, but maybe twice a year?

I think you have to come into this book understanding that this author 1) doesn't see much value at all in social media. I disagree: for various reasons, I think social media has great value and outstanding impact and it is worth spending time to understand how people use it and why. you can't ignore it and then it'll go away. it will always be in our lives. And 2) doesn't value do-nothing time. I think I require spontaneous do-nothing time to function. maybe that's a wiring thing, and the author doesn't need it, but regardless it appears to be a core part of his suggestion to achieve his definition of digital minimalism.

The main idea is that one should use their digital resources as tools, as a means to an end, not as an activity during your leisure time. I think even there, there can be some balance (one reason that I use social media to experience the evolution of communication, memes, and messages across the internet). I'd rather be part of it than observe it or read about it. I'm not interested in the strict academic approach the book suggests, but I also understand much better now the psychology behind social media addiction and how for some people all or nothing might be the only way to prevent addiction. we are all a commodity in the digital attention economy.

this has given me lots to think about and reflect on, not just for myself but also how these new digital technologies have impacted the social structures of the world and how we exchange information. I am giving a higher rating for this, I love a book that gives me lots to think about.

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