Clutter is costly – drawing on wisdom from Henry David Thoreau and New Economics, ask yourself the true cost you’re paying with your actions.

The philosophy is rooted in three tenets: If there is a certain application that is of professional benefit, what guidelines can you set around it’s productive use?Īs one of the study participants discovered after purging his social media accounts, you’ll likely enjoy more quality time with your family and hobbies. In other words, we need to optimise for the value with derive from this media while reducing the time and emotional burden involved.

Like it’s physical counterpart philosophy, ask yourself: Does this website, app or service really support what I value in a way that nothing else can? Many advocate quick hacks, like disabling app notifications, but the author believes a more comprehensive approach is needed for behaviour change.Įnter digital minimalism – better living can come from less. We need a way to protect ourselves from the damaging effects of online media while still enjoying the rewards. One such method of attention manipulation was with the introduction of Facebook’s ‘thumb’s up’ button, exploiting our deep desire for tribal acceptance and social approval. This came later, with the work of social media engineers. Indeed, the first iPhone and Facebook version were never designed to be addictive. AddictionĬurrent symptoms many of us experience while not engaged with our phone is one of disquiet, a nagging sensation that we need to check notifications, emails and texts. Newport performed his own min-study which formed the basis of the book, in which 1,600 volunteers followed a month-long tech sabattical, providing valuable insights digital minimalism. Soon it was defacto for social media, allowing companies to keep us hooked with endless notifications while gathering user preference data.įinally people are becoming aware of the pernicious effects of online technology and beginning to push back. When the innocuous ‘like’ button emerged on FriendFeed in 2007 it was a portentous moment.

So if you’re glued to your phone day and night, the Digital Minimalism summary is for you. In his book, Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University (and successful blogger), Cal Newport, argues that we need a digital detox to restore emotional health and wellbeing.

Is your online media consumption causing anxiety and overwhelm?

Books about digital minimalism