After this detox period, digital minimalists are advised to evaluate what digital apps and devices they reintroduce with the following questions: Does this technology directly support something that I deeply value? Is this technology the best way to support this value? How am I going to use this technology going forward to maximize its value and minimize its harms?Īlthough Newport’s approach has been widely praised, he fails to acknowledge the intrinsic value in written communication/social media as tools for human connection. The main tenet of digital minimalism is starting with a clean slate after a 30 day digital break in which you are not using your phone as anything but a phone and avoiding all of its apps and other features. If a device or site doesn’t add value to a digital minimalist’s life, they do not use it.

While this phrase might conjure an image of Luddites eschewing all technology, the book is quick to point out that rather digital minimalists adopt new technology and apps with caution. Newport calls his approach “digital minimalism”–a way to gauge exactly how much is enough without ever over-using. It’s no wonder, when the attention economy and social media are designed to keep people on their devices, using apps as much as possible.ĭigital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World (2019) by Cal Newport offers some ways to cut through all the things demanding our attention and decide what really matters.ĭigital Minimalism is divided into two parts “Foundations” and “Practices.” The first half of the book establishes the problem and details some of the causes while the second half offers actionable strategies for change. While the average in this study was around five hours, some participants reported spending as many as twelve hours on their phone. In one study one in three participants guessed they spent significantly less time on their smart phone than they actually do per day.

How much time do you think you spend on your phone every day? How much of that time is spent talking to an actual person on a phone call? How much is texting? How much is scrolling different apps?

Digital minimalism review