Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World

We live in a world of distractions. The Digital Age—which has provided us with vast resources—comes with its costs. When’s the last time you impulsively checked Facebook or instinctively Googled something while you were supposed to be focused on your work? Yeah, we get distracted easily. Although digital devices can be very useful, instead of making us more productive, we often find them making an entirely opposite effect on our lives. Instead of enhancing our lives, they often send individuals into a swirl of meaningless activity: refreshing Twitter, liking something on … something. In fact, if you’re the average user, you spend two hours on social media every day. But do we feel any better after having our time wasted in a low-quality lifestyle. Probably not. In Digital Minimalism, Cal Newport explains why we often fall for digital traps and what we can do to become digital minimalists.

Cal Newport starts off by explaining why digital devices can be so appealing. In short, companies have crafted digital applications in a way that attempts to draw the most out of our attention. They have, in essence, taken advantage of human psychology. Therefore, Cal Newport recommends a digital declutter during which you participate in no optional online activities (no, you do not need Twitter or Netflix). I personally tried this experiment (for a few days) and found the experience enjoyable. That is why I strive to become a digital minimalist. With more time on my hands, every minute has a purpose. I find more time to think, read, and go outside. In the end, I think the most important idea I drew out of the experiment was the principle of getting the most value out of a digital tool in the least amount of time.

Cal Newport also introduces the philosophy of digital minimalism. Digital Minimalism: A philosophy of technology use in which you focus our time online on a small number of high value activities, while happily missing out on everything else.

Below are five insights on digital minimalism that I think would be helpful for anyone:

1. Digital devices clutter our time and attention; always measure its benefits against what it costs “your life.” Be careful in measuring what you gain against what you lose. Treat your time as an important substance, like unto money.

2. Carefully choose a minimal amount of curated digital tools to use, being wary to get the most value out of each tool as possible without reaching the diminishing return curve.

3. Studies have shown that while in-person conversations have positive effects, social media is a source of opposite negative effects. It’s conversation vs. connection.

In conclusion, I found Digital Minimalism to be an excellent self-help book. If you find your time slipping away, look no further. This is a must-read for the Digital Age.