“Digital Minimalism” by Cal Newport
Reading time: 7 minutes
The aim of this short article is to encourage the reading of this book and not to replace it. If you decide to purchase it through our affiliate link, we’ll get a few pence in our bank account and you’ll get a big thank you!
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The book oversimplified
Digital Minimalism is a great book, able to tackle our relationship with new technologies widely and deeply. If you’ve ever questioned how much time you spend on your phone, you should absolutely read it.
Summary
Part 1: Foundations
Society has changed drastically since Steve Jobs blessed the mobile phone with intelligence, and it’s now hard to imagine that the internet connection wasn’t even a key feature. In fact, he took 33 minutes to mention it during his legendary presentation. Every single aspect of our daily lives has been completely restructured by smartphones, and yet, none of these changes had originally been planned.
Although I’m a firm believer that technology is neither good nor bad, we should all acknowledge that smartphones, and especially social media, are not neutral technologies.
From a psychological point of view, they do not differ from a slot machine.
The science of addiction.
Yes, one might argue that all technologies, even social media, are neither good nor bad; it depends on the use that one makes of them, but this is not the case for by-products of the ‘attention economy.’ Apps, news feeds and the very smartphone you keep in your pocket are designed to be addictive.
They exploit two fundamental concepts:
Intermittent Positive Reinforcement - the urge to check how many likes this or that photo earned, and
Drive for Social Approval - the reason why replying to a text seems more important than keeping your eyes on the road while driving.
It’s also incredibly easy being reasonable about our use (or abuse) of the screen.
The great majority of people will justify their use of social media with noble reasons, such as the possibility to get in contact with childhood friends otherwise impossible to reach, when in reality this virtuous practices make up less than 1% of the total time spent in front of the screen.
We need to face that we allowed tools and services in our lives for minor reasons and, in exchange, we got stuck with behavioural addictions.
A possible solution to the problem: Digital Minimalism.
In a sentence, Digital Minimalism is the art of using technology intentionally, so that it supports our values instead of luring us into unintended uses of it.
Why does Cal Newport think it works?
Clutter is costly.
The cost of a cluttered house is not being able to find what you need when you need it, and it’s no different for your mind. Evaluate how much time you need to ‘pay’ for the benefit of being connected.
Optimisation is important
Our use of online services follows the law of diminishing returns. After a certain point, every minute we spend online does not give us back the increased outcome we expect, eventually becoming detrimental.
Being intentional is satisfying
It really is!
Ok, that’s all good, but how do you practice Digital Minimalism?
Just follow these 3 steps:
Step 1: Define your technology rules.
Distinguish between what would cause critical damage to your work or private life and what would just be inconvenient. For example; avoiding Google Maps would be inconvenient, but not totally disruptive, as long as you can get your hands on a paper map, while uninstalling Skype when your other half lives a thousand miles from you would surely damage your relationship.
Step 2: Follow the rules for a calendar month.
After a while, the withdrawal symptoms should disappear. Paramount during this phase is filling any time gap left by the absence of technology with activities you strongly enjoy and value.
Step 3: Reintroduce Technology in your life.
This is not a mindless reintroduction. There should be no going back to the pre-digital decluttering state: instead, it must be a highly intentional process.
For a specific technology to be reintroduced, it must comply with three conditions:
It must serve something you deeply value. Offering some benefits is not nearly enough.
It must be the best way to serve that value.
It must be precisely tuned, defining a strict ‘when’ and ‘how’ you will use it.
Good luck.
Photo by Steven Shi on Unsplash
Part 2: Practices
I will not dwell too much on part 2 for two reasons. First, I really want you to read the book. Second, I think that these practices for a happier, healthier, more satisfying life are too valuable to be crammed up in a blog post. All I can do is give you an idea of what Cal is talking about.
Spend Time Alone.
“All the humanity’s problems stand from men’s inability to sit quietly in a room, alone.”
Solitude is necessary for human beings to thrive, but in a 24/7 connected world, how can you find it? Detach from the screen. You want to use your phone to add massive amounts of value to your existence, while 99% of the times it adds nothing or, in the best cases, a very marginal improvement to any activity.
Don’t Click Like.
Simply be wary of super simple exchanges such as a like or a text or a comment. Always opt for complex interactions when possible.
Reclaim Leisure.
Satisfaction is directly proportional to how much effort a task requires. In other words: to live a good life, one cannot be numb, but must be tired.
This concept resonates immensely within me, especially when I consciously decide to rest during the weekend, spending time mindlessly on my phone. Instead of recharging, I end up frustrated and exhausted.
Prioritise demanding occupations over passive consumption.
Use skills to create in the physical world.
Seek activities that require structured social interactions.
Cal also suggests treating leisure like an ambitious goal, with Seasonal and Weekly Leisure Plans.
“Doing nothing is overrated.”
Finally, join the attention resistance.
There is a huge community out there that will gladly welcome you in the movement.
Photo by Leone Venter on Unsplash
A review through takeaways
A word of warning
Cal Newport, by his own admission, is a person who’s never used social media. He approaches the issue with an academic eye, almost clinical, which can be a little distant from what is going on in everyone’s life. I believe he underestimates how hard it can be to use your smartphone sporadically or intentionally.
That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try.
Always approach social media knowing that companies spent billions just to keep you glued to the screen.
Always think about the value you gain from a service in terms of the time you spend (waste) on it. How expensive is, really, a free app?
If you can’t see the product on sale, you are.
Demanding activities are much more satisfying than passive consumption.
Never underestimate the power of solitude and leisure.
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