Digital minimalism is a strategy that aims to optimize the use of technology and prevent overwhelming it. It was popularized in the 1980s and is now gaining popularity as a lifestyle and philosophy. Digital minimalism encourages intentional and mindful use of digital technology, emphasizing the elimination of non-essential distractions and prioritizing activities that add value to our lives.
Excessive screen time and digital distractions can negatively impact productivity and overall well-being. Digital minimalism helps individuals question what digital communication tools and behaviors add the most value to their lives and prioritize focused, intentional use of technology to limit distraction. It is based on the understanding that our relationship with apps, tools, and phones is nuanced and deserves consideration.
Digital minimalism focuses on carefully selecting and optimizing online time, working backward from deeply held values when deciding how to live their life. It is an approach to be more mindful with technology and forgo the things that don’t add value to our lives.
In conclusion, digital minimalism is a philosophy that encourages the intentional and mindful use of technology to limit distraction and improve productivity. By decluttering our digital world, we can regain control over our digital devices and online platforms, leading to a more fulfilling and productive life.
📹 So, you’re a digital minimalist now
So you’re now a full-fleged digital minimalist. You’ve finally been able to reduce your screen time to a manageable amount, but …
What is the philosophy of digital minimalism?
Digital minimalism is a personal philosophy that encourages individuals to be selective and intentional in their use of technology. It aims to use technology to support what we value most, rather than as sources of value themselves. Digital minimalists reject the idea that offering small benefits justifies allowing attention-gobbling services into their lives, instead focusing on applying new technology in selective and intentional ways that yield big wins.
Newport, like Kondo, does not reject the innovations of the internet age, but instead rejects the way many people currently engage with these tools. Digital minimalism is not anti-tech, but rather focuses on what brings the most value to individuals and how technology can enhance what is important to them.
What is the meaning of digital minimalism?
Digital minimalism is a philosophy that focuses on a few selected and optimized activities that support what you value, while avoiding other activities. Newport recommends three principles of digital minimalism: clutter is costly, optimization is important, and intentionality is satisfying. Clutter can be detrimental, as it can offset the individual value of some digital activities. Optimizing online services is crucial, and some activities can be limited or cut out entirely.
Tools like Freedom or Self Control can be used to limit social network use. Intentionality is satisfying, as it allows for more time and greater focus on other activities. Most minimalists review their use of digital services and decide what to focus on, with Newport suggesting seasonal and weekly plans. However, not all minimalists are able to fully eliminate digital technology entirely.
What are the three principles of digital minimalism?
Digital minimalism aims to transform technology from a distraction source into tools for a well-lived life. The three principles behind this approach are clutter is costly, optimization is important, and intentionality is satisfying. Clutter creates cumulative costs that outweigh the benefits of most apps, devices, or services. Optimization is crucial as filtering technologies is only the first step, and effective use is also essential.
Is there a duty to be a digital minimalist?
In the 1950s, duties to the self became unpopular in mainstream moral philosophy, leading some ethicists to become skeptical. Kant’s position on duties to oneself is presented, and digital minimalism is defined as a virtue that protects autonomy from threats such as mobile devices. Digital minimalism is defined as the disposition to use mobile devices for a reasonable amount of time in line with one’s chosen ends. This duty fits within Kant’s broader taxonomy of ethical duties, as it promotes one’s own perfection.
Duties to oneself are considered the most important of all duties, as violating them degrades one’s own person and renders them incapable of performing duties to others. In today’s world, people often feel that their decisions are not their own due to distractions. However, we have the unique ability to adapt to such threats and take steps to retrain and regain our brains. We don’t have time to wait for regulators or corporations to make their products less distracting, and holding our breath waiting for them will lead to suffocation. In conclusion, the duty to be a digital minimalist is an imperfect duty, as it promotes one’s own perfection.
What is the paradox of minimalism?
Those who adhere to minimalist principles eschew the accumulation of material possessions, instead focusing on the reduction of these items to enhance the quality of their lives. They regard all possessions as potential sources of joy, yet recognize that they can also impede one’s ability to fully enjoy the present moment.
What is the 20 rule minimalist?
Over the past few years, the couple has been reducing their just-in-case possessions, ensuring they don’t pack anything just in case. They believe that any items we need can be replaced for less than $20 in less than 20 minutes from their current location. This theory has been proven to be true 100 times, with no replacements needed and no longer requiring more than $20 or going more than 20 minutes. This theory is likely applicable to all items and people, including the couple.
The couple hasn’t missed the hundreds of just-in-case items they’ve gotten rid of, and most didn’t need to be replaced. Getting rid of these items clears their minds, frees up space, and takes the weight off their shoulders.
What are the rules of minimalism?
Minimalism is a lifestyle that emphasizes simplicity and organization, without compromising on quality. It is a philosophy that encourages the use of minimal items and a focus on minimizing waste. The process of minimalism is dynamic, not static, and involves decluttering first and organizing second. The goal is not to let the pursuit of things get in the way, and there is no magical number of items. Minimalism is not about swapping experiences for things, but about focusing on the present and not comparing it to the past.
The goal is not to buy new items with a minimalistic aesthetic, but to declutter what is no longer valuable and continue to use what you already have. This approach can be beneficial for those looking to adopt a minimalist lifestyle without the need for expensive items or a specific aesthetic.
Which concept did minimalists avoid?
The Minimalism movement emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, focusing on simple geometric shapes and lines, a departure from Abstract Expressionism’s excess layers. This trend spread to painting, sculpture, architecture, product design, interior design, and lifestyle. The concept, which began with a 1915 piece by Russian painter Kasimir Malevich, emphasized essentials in art. Over time, influential professionals preferred art that referred to itself, reducing anything that appeared excessive.
The minimalist approach, now globally recognized, is characterized by simplicity, utility, and elegance, often associated with New York in the 1960s. Its ethos of “LESS IS MORE” sets it apart from other art forms.
What is the main goal of minimalism?
Minimalism is a lifestyle that emphasizes conscious decision-making about possessions, time, energy, and relationships. It values simplicity and rejects superficial mass consumerism, aiming to highlight the beauty and true purpose of things in life. This philosophy aligns with the Scandinavian way of living, which is often ranked among the happiest nationalities. Denmark, a modest nation with around 5. 7 million residents, has a unique minimalist design philosophy shaped by post-war economic hardships.
Danish designers like Arne Jakobsen, Kaare Klint, and Poul Henningsen, along with the government’s innovative design initiatives, laid the foundation for Danish minimalist living. The Danish climate influences the creation of comfortable interiors, exemplifying the Danish “hygge” phenomenon. Oprah Winfrey encapsulated Denmark’s environmental consciousness and efficient living as “less space, less things, more life”.
How to live a digital free life?
Digital minimalism is a philosophy that encourages individuals to focus on deeper focus, self-awareness, and control in their lives. It suggests that excessive use of digital media can lead to increased anxiety, similar to any addiction. To achieve this, individuals should press refresh, try the 30 Day Challenge, keep what holds value, get rid of notifications, plan leisure time, spend time alone, leave their phones at home, and consider calling instead of texting.
While social media is often considered harmful, it is important to consider whether it is an intentional choice or a habit, addiction, or void-filling behavior. The main problem with online consumption is that it often grabs our attention without our realizing it. To achieve deeper focus and more intention in life, individuals should focus on pressing refresh, trying the 30 Day Challenge, keeping what holds value, getting rid of notifications, planning leisure time, spending time alone, leaving phones at home, and considering calling instead of texting.
How to be digital minimalist?
Digital minimalism is a strategy to optimize technology use and avoid overwhelming it. It involves using a “dumbphone” instead of smartphones, deleting distracting applications, using productivity apps, limiting screen time, using productivity techniques, categorizing emails, using applications without logging in, and using password management tools. Cal Newport’s book, Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World, popularized the term. A successful digital minimalist focuses on a small quantity of optimized activities, aiming to reduce burnout at work and improve digital wellness.
📹 Digital Minimalism with Cal Newport
Cal Newport reviews his book, “Digital Minimalism”. Cal noticed how people were becoming uneasy with their phones.
This is a great article, and you hit the nail on the head. I don’t think reducing screen time is the end all be all, it’s about taking control back. I’ve minimized my home screen, deleted my problem apps (mostly social media), and so far that’s as far as I’ve needed to go. I still have YouTube on my phone and I still use my phone a lot. But I’m spending that time taking notes, reading, and doing the things that I actually want to do and not getting sucked into Instagram’s algorithm.
I am 42 so I remember the days where social media was not a thing and I didn’t feel anxious just constantly pushing myself away from some thing that could gobble up my attention, I feel like I’m more addictive than a drug addict. I desperately want to know what the hell I did in in 2005 where none of this nightmare existed. I want to go back to living that way. I wish the smart phone was never invented.
I used to watch 8-12 hours of YouTube a day and sometimes more if I didn’t have anything else to do. At times it was so invasive I’d listen to articles in the shower, and go to sleep perusal just to pick it up again the next morning. It wasn’t always that bad, but six months ago, I disabled the app on my phone (won’t let me delete), and I installed a browser extension on all my web browsers called unhook. It hides whatever you want. I have it redirect my home page on YouTube to my subscriptions. I don’t see recommended articles next to or after articles, I don’t see notifications, no autoplay, nothing. Just a feed of all my YT subscriptions in order. It’s absolutely helped me take control and in combination with other things helped me improve my life.
I might be the few but social media never got me addicted to it. I always made it so that my feed had things I enjoyed: spiritual articles, funny articles and simple beauty /health products. I think the biggest reason why I never got addicted to it was because I gain so much more deeper satisfaction in other areas of my life time with friends, spiritual practice, or other digital avenues such as youtube with long in depth article about topics (whether they be about electromagnetic waves or celebrity gossip). Taking ownership and control over what you take in by being as Cal said intentional. Press that dislike button or select the suggest less of these articles option. We as a society can’t keep blaming technology and companies for all of it. People get addicted to things mainly because there is a lack or something they are running away from.
I’ve left Facebook, but YouTube is 10 times worse, in my opinion. YouTube makes you addicted with both “bad content” and “good content”, for example here I am perusal this article and feeling like I have to watch all Cal Newport’s articles because I don’t want to “miss out”. Meanwhile I’m being baited by the algorithm to watch 10 other things which are equally or more compelling, it is constantly listening to me and being refined with every single click and scroll. After this I will click on Cal’s “Slow productivity” article, then I will be baited with something else, and it has no end. I’m perusal 2-3 hours of YouTube every day, I know people that are on YouTube 6 hours a day. They are taking control of our will, we are feeding the machine, and the machine is just giving us back what “we want”, that’s the worst form of tyranny, one that we accept willingly. I have to quit this, Cal is right, it has to be on our terms, if it can’t be on our own terms we have to leave the technology altogether, go back to reading the newspaper or something, or stick with books only, AI will only continue growing and being refined, it’s only going to get “worse”.
Last year I dumped social media from my phone. I just flat cancelled the accounts and deleted everything from my phone that was SM related. I don’t even have Youtube on the phone. I have some apps for work, books, music, podcasts and 1 word search game. Oh, and I take some pictures with it though, never a selfie. LOL My daily screen on time usually runs from 1-1.5 hours. Things are much better.
As someone who has been working from home for 2+ years, find this very helpful and every bit of it strikes me as “correct”. As of 10-25-2022 only 31K people have viewed this article whereas a “cats scared of cucumbers” article has 6M views. I think that says a lot about the problems were dealing with in these days
Hi Cal, as the old proverv says, “The master comes when the student is ready” its happens to me with you, even when I was sourrounded by your books in my family. Nowadays Iam turning my music career fighting against this Social Media believe it or not I found it as the node when the world starts to be too selfish, fake newed and conspiracy-idiocracy. But as I said Iam musiccian and is hard to get known if I dont use the social media, but here is the freaking twist every one is made to stay posting empty s#”%&t all the time and come on, I dont to get back and be a robot again. Analizing eighties movies who surprise is cool again and series or movies based on those years are breaking the TV/screens on the world, I found a point in common. Those movies/ series plot about a Group of friends or antagonists whom works on the Real world even if those were super hypr mega sci-fi stories backgrounds. So here is the path I found is to reconect each others when before, I lived those ages and this is not the future we were waiting for, We dont need to spread hate on social media teaching some As”#%&le AI with those hought of our depest childish behaviour. Instead to spread Love may I sound kind of Hippie here but is possible, I saw, I lived and I remember. So here Iam starting to et those apps out to become human again and to linkled each others in the real world. Wy the way I want to thank you for spreading your nerdish loved for computers and the human side of the true self in this caothic digital world.
Thank you so much for this article! Here are my key takeaways: * You have to be comfortable missing out. The stuff you are missing out on, is actually not even worth experiencing in the first place. * Be intentional about how you use technology. First you need a life philosophy, an idea of what kind of life you want to live. Then you can figure out how technology fits into that. * Do not use social media etc on your phone. Use it on your computer. After some thinking, here is how I can use technology and the internet in my life: * I do like twitter, twitch, and youtube. I use them for two things: studying, and entertainment. * I want to be entertained only when I can really enjoy it, such as in the afternoon after my work is done. * I really love the idea of getting in bed and perusal some of my favorite youtubers for 30 minutes or so, but perusal it in the morning or during the day is not good. * Since I like perusal youtube, why would I watch it on my phone? The experience is much better on a large screen. The same goes for twitch, especially so since the chat is an essential part of the experience. What I will do: * Uninstall twitter, twitch, and youtube from my phone, adapt the mindset of only using them on my laptop. * Use two of my google accounts to have separate youtube experiences. One is for studying, one is for entertainment. * On twitter, I will follow only the studying-people, and make lists for the entertainment-people.
My relationship with my phone is purely utilitarian, mostly because I started having a phone with me after I was 19 years old and ready to own one. My problem is that I am deep into perusal worthless bs on YouTube. I think it became a thing since I never got to have a laptop before 21ys old and then all of sudden all the tv shows suddenly were available to be binged. So I binged 5 tv shows (7-10 seasons each) in 6 months. Now perusal things mindlessly has become a habit triggered by boredom, anxiety, etc. The question is why am I able to handle having the best phone in the world, but I cannot stay away from my laptop?
I feel i have been doing what he says since few years on my own. But its a constant process and there are some buffer times as well. Also there are few minimal launchers i found were helpful for phone. Along with app time limits. Uninstall and reinstall cycles are still there but i know i need that particular addictive app in that particular time so its intentional. But i hope to get some better techniques from the book. Good article!
I really pity the uninformed population. Retiring from public service made me realize that I had no means of passive income, and in 35 years, I had only moved round in circles financially. I feel very accomplished every time I remember my journey and how I’ve been able to grow my income to 6 figures…
“El miedo es el sufrimiento que está asociado con el futuro, la lamentación con el pasado y la confusión con el presente. Sobre el poder de la percepción introspectiva se dice que conquista los tres tipos de sufrimiento y lo eleva a uno a un estado superior de ser, un estado poderos de libertad interna, dándole a una persona la habilidad de modelar su mundo” Libro del Dharma
It’s very hard to use these apps or websites for a single purpose. It’s possible, but hard. They are designed to pull your attention from what you came there for. Installing the kind of add on to for example block newsfeed on facebook is key, I think. However, I opted out quitting and uninstalling them all together, one by one. I carefully access if they are something I want in my vision of a good life and the answer seems to be a ‘no’ all the time. Currently I use YT for informational articles like these on the topics I care about and occasionally I google search a topic with added “reddit” on the search terms. I’m also switching away from a big powerful laptop and a huge hunk of a phone that I do not absolutely need. I’m not a gamer or a article editor, I can better focus on the things I care about if there is not constantly a nagging fear of missing out about some cool program, game or tech. Lately that new program/tech was AI art. Such an amazing new innovation can steer you out from your path for months, like it did for me. As a writer, I only need a very simple device and a keyboard, so that’s what I’m steering for.
even tho i have many good friends, i dont have any social media with my friends on it, only have them on chat apps. its great cus when we meet each other or call 1-3 times per month, we actually have lots of things to talk about. and i only use the rest of my digital time for work and self studying. makes me associate being online more with growing personally than just wasting time scrolling. have been like this for probably around 5 years, and cals book helped me contextualize this idea. really recommend this digital mindful lifestyle
”Technology is a tool than can be utilized for creativity, educational & entertainment purposes” but it will Never give me mental order & emotional control for that there is ”simplicity” the simple act of seeking less and staying aware of My inner and outer environment and inviting stilness and silence into my life. Technology is not a medication to suppress my uncontroled emotions or A cluttered brain, its just a tool, its not who I am and it will never complete me, its just a tool.
Deleted all my socials years ago and recently deleted any news source and went back to reading books and listening to music in vinyl (as in, listening to whole albums instead of random tracks). Turns out, all of this gave me more hours in a day because it pauses time for a bit. That’s what it feels like anyway. The only thing that still takes a lot of my time is YouTube. That’s the big colossus for me, though it did help to curate the websites I actually care about.
Just finished the book, checked in here ‘intentionally’ to see if Cal and a article on it. The book is great, lots of rich content. This article only hits on a few points; it does not do the book justice. I recommend reading the book. It is filled with not only solid arguments and data to support the arguments, but also lots of actionable suggestions and ideas. Like “Deep Work,” it is well worth the time to read and digest the author’s ideas and insights. Even when you do not agree with him, Cal makes it worth taking the time to understand his point of view.
One important thing I see and not sure if others mention, is compartmentalization. You have dedicated places to clean, eat, sleep and entertain. But your phone is almost an amalgamation of this mess. Unfortunately, its all so well integrated to compartmentalize these things from different devices, but what you can do is compartmentalize different websites, social media into a single specific thing. For e.g a personal account just for keeping in touch, and a public account for your professional needs. Keep political things in their own apps. Sports in their own areas. This makes it that each app has a purpose and so the jumble mess of social media that is would almost have no use in your life, if you decide how to live your life offline.
I have a cellphone physically, but not really, as I don’t have a plan on it. I can’t make or receive calls or texts on it or mindlessly scroll through anything. I don’t want to be accessible to everyone 24/7. When I walk out into the backyard among the trees and flowers, I don’t want even the possibility of interruptions. If you wonder why I have the gadget at all, it’s to take photos, as the camera is great, and to play a single simple game. I also have some photos, music, documents, and books stored on it just in case I want to see or hear something or show it to someone else. As far as social media, I only use one, and even though I have a lot of friends, I have unfollowed most of them so I don’t see all their random stuff that I really don’t car about. They can still see my posts. I mostly post photos of flowers and plants in my yard, old family photos, breaking weather information, and a few links to some interesting music. I carry a pocket notebook and pen so I can write notes on things that happen, medical notes, and expenses as they occur with dates and times. In the back, I write down contact info for people I meet. I can tear out pages to hand someone my own contact info.
Hey Cal, I’m one of your many new fans from Malaysia! We would like to get your perspective as a computer science professor who is very good with digital technology has to offer, we are wondering: :hand-pink-waving: 1) what is the current iPhone model that you use? 2) how often do you update your iPhone — considering Apple update its iphone technology every year? 3) What is your practice when updating the iOS, do yo wait? 4) what other devices do you use in Apple ecosystem? Thanks maybe you can use the question for your next podcast.
I use a flip phone in 2023. Friends who don’t want to contact me because I don’t use WhatsApp, LINE or Messenger, it means he/she is not really interested in me as a friend. If you want to talk to me, make a phone call. If you want to discuss with me, let’s meet at the park/home/etc. If you want to share a photo, bring it when we meet at the park. After I stopped using a smartphone 7+ years ago the results are that I have less “friends” but instead I have more good friends, I finish more projects, I sleep better, I learned a new language and started studying a 3rd one, I read more books, I acquire much more useful knowledge, I spend more time in the nature, I enjoy playing tabletop games with real friends and overall my quality of life improved greatly.
25 days Into a social media break and I’ve had to have meetings at work and my kids school because Noone believes I’m on a break and they are writing scripts with their fears. I agree with almost everything you say here, but I think that “inflated self importance ” is a hive characteristic that’s threatened when someone in the group steps away. Alot like when an addict gets clean, changes their life, and it threatens the stagnation in the herd
It’s all on a continuum. Fire one one end, then books, then radio and movies, the internet, then social media. It’s therefore a false dichotomy to suggest getting off social media gets you off the continuum—you’re still being entertained just at a lower level. Are you saying this lower level is acceptable and is somehow intrinsically different than social media (which may have jumped off the scale somehow, into its own realm)?
00:00 Introduction to Digital Minimalism 01:00 Ineffective responses: detox and delusion 02:58 Phones engineered to capture attention 04:12 Psychological need fulfilled by phones 05:32 Solution: Philosophy of technology use 06:00 Digital minimalism is about intention, not minimization 07:00 Selecting technology to support values 08:29 Putting rules and fences around technology use 10:46 30-day digital declutter to rediscover what matters 11:59 Lessons learned from a 30-day declutter