TITLE: Digital Minimalism:

Choosing a Focused Life in a

Noisy World
AUTHOR: Cal Newport
OVERVIEW
Digital technologies — devices, apps, social networks — are the best things to happen
to humanity. True?

Well, not true.

They were created as novelties, something we were supposed to use as “tools” towards
specific ends, once in a while. Like keeping up with family and friends, or making phone
calls.

So how did we find ourselves in our present dilemma where they have now occupied
the core of our lives, and taken away our time and our attention? Are we forever
condemned to this predicament of ours or is there something we do about it?

Cal Newport, in his book, “Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy
World,” provides us with the answers we need.

Keywords: Digital minimalism, choosing a focused life in a noisy world,

autonomy, attention, iPhone, facebook, minimalism, Cal Newport
“The tycoons of social media have to stop
pretending that they are friendly nerd gods
building a better world and admit they’re
just tobacco farmers in T-shirts selling an
addictive product to children. Because, let’s
face it, checking your ‘Likes’ is the new
smoking.”
~ Bill Maher, host of “Real Time” on HBO
1. We signed up for new digital technologies for
minor reasons, but then woke up one morning to
discover they had taken away our autonomy
Facebook started out in 2004 as a tool college students could use to look up boyfriends
or girlfriends of the people they knew. It was a novelty, designed to play the minor role
of connecting college students with the friends in their lives.

The iPhone was designed to play the minor role of playing music files and enabling
phone calls. At its unveiling, CEO, Steve Jobs hailed it as “the best iPod we’ve ever
made,” and touted its ability to make calls as “its killer app.” Andy Grignon, a member of
the original team that designed the iPhone said of it, “this was supposed to be an iPod
that made phone calls.”

Today, both technologies and indeed every other digital technology, radically change
our experience of the culture — our social and civil lives. From their rightful places at
our lives’ peripheries, they have become the core around which we organize our lives.
For example, 1.5 billion people use Facebook everyday for at least an hour, and the
average iPhone user engages his or her phone 85 times during a typical day. {1}

These digital technologies crept up on us. We never had the chance to ask ourselves
what we wanted out of them. We just signed up for them and woke up one morning to
find out they had colonized the very essence of our lives — our autonomy. {2}

Technology companies are to blame because they designed their products for these
exact outcomes, so they can gain financially. {3} Tristan Harris, former Google engineer
said, holding up a smartphone, in his interview with Anderson Cooper on “60 minutes,”
“this thing is a slot machine … there’s a whole playbook of techniques that get used by
technology companies to get you using the product for as long as possible … because
that’s how they make their money.”

2. Digital minimalism is a framework we can use to

manage our use of digital technologies for maximum
value and at little cost in time and attention to us {4}
The author, Cal Newport, once came across an article titled “How I Kicked the
Smartphone Addiction — and You Can Too” in the “The New York Post.” The gist was
that the Columnist “kicked” his compulsive use of his iPhone by disabling 112 apps on
it.

Using clever life hacks like this to deal with our compulsive use of digital technologies is
not enough. To reestablish our control and autonomy, we need to rebuild our
relationship with them from the standpoint of the values we hold dear. {5} And digital
minimalism will enable us to do just that.

Digital minimalism is a philosophy of technology use in which we focus our online time
on a small number of carefully selected and optimized activities that strongly support the
things we value, and then happily miss out on everything else. {6}

It has its basis in implicit cost-benefit analyses. If a new digital technology is more bells
and whistles than substance, the minimalist will ignore it. For the technology that holds
some promise in supporting a value one holds dear, the minimalist will still ask if using
the technology is the best way to support the value. {7}

Digital minimalists carefully choose a small number of technology tools to deliver very
clear and massive benefits to their lives. Tyler, for example, quit his compulsive use of
social media “to improve his network, further his career and get entertained,” and
instead, volunteered more near his home, exercised regularly, read 3 – 4 books every
month and learned to play the ukulele. Also, he had more time to spend with his wife
and kids and soon earned a promotion at work because of his increased focus on the
job. {8}

There are three principles to the digital minimalist’s behavior.

One, clutter is costly. When we jam-pack our time and attention with too many devices,
apps and services, there is an overall negative cost that cancels out the totality of the
small benefits we would have enjoyed.

Two, optimization is important. Just deciding that a particular technology will support a
value we hold dear is not enough. We need to think carefully about how we will use it.

Three, intentionality is satisfying. We will derive more satisfaction from our intentional
use of technology. {9}
3. “Decluttering” — rapidly changing our
technology-use habits — is our best shot at
succeeding in transitioning into digital minimalism {10}
In order to succeed at digital minimalism, there has to be a rapid transformation of our
technology-use habits, something the author calls a “digital declutter.” {11}

The digital declutter is a three-step process that will take us from being digital
maximalists — using any technology that catches our fancy, to being digital minimalists
— using technology to enhance our lives.

Step one is for us to define our technology-use rules. We can do this in two sub-steps.

Sub-step one is for us to determine which of the technologies we use — apps, websites
or devices — we can classify as “optional.” Optional technologies are those
technologies we can take a break from for any length of time without disrupting our
personal or professional lives.

Sub-step two is for us to specify “how,” “when,” and for “how long” we will use these
technologies. This way, we won’t default to unrestricted and unlimited use of the
technologies. A good example is Caleb, a computer scientist who listens to his much-
loved podcasts only during his daily two-hour commute to and from work.

Step two is for us to “detox” from these optional technologies by taking a 30-day break
away from them. The break is important because the period will provide us with the
clarity we need to make smarter technology choices at the end of the detox period. The
goal here is not just to give ourselves a break from technology, but to spark a
permanent transformation of our digital lives. Digital detoxing is the step that supports
this transformation.

Finally, after the 30-day detox period, we can start from a blank slate and reintroduce
the important optional technologies one after the other, leaving out the unimportant
ones. {12}

For each optional technology we are proposing to reintroduce, we should ask if it

supports a value we hold dear, if it is the best way to support this value and if there is a
viable way to maximize its use and minimize its harms. Only then should we reintroduce
the optional technology into our lives. {13}
4. We function properly as social animals when we
alternate periods of solitude and interconnectedness
{14}
Our brains require solitude — regular doses of quiet to support the monumental life we
want to live. {15}

“Solitude is the subjective state in which our minds are free from the input of other
minds,” according to Raymond Kethledge and Michael Erwin in “Lead Yourself First,”
the book they co-wrote. {16} Solitude is about what’s happening in our brains and has
nothing to do with physical isolation or the absence of it. We can achieve solitude
standing in a crowded street corner; and be isolated but yet not have it. {17}

Solitude moves us beyond reacting to the information created by other people and
focusing instead on our thoughts and experiences; thus enjoying three benefits —
insight or new ideas, an emotional balance which leads us to a better understanding of
ourselves, and the ability to achieve closeness to others. {18}

Digital technologies deprive us of solitude. {19} Solitude deprivation is the state in which
we spend close to zero time alone with our thoughts and free from input from other
minds. {20}

The technology companies that design devices, apps, and social networks have sold us
on to the idea of constant communication to the detriment of the practice of solitude.
The iPod began it all by providing us with a musical backdrop to our entire day, thereby
making us distracted the whole day. The arrival of the iPhone made it worse, as we got
used to taking several “harmless,” “quick” glances at any number of apps or mobile-
adapted websites as our day unfolds. They removed solitude completely from our lives
and its costing us.
The absence of solitude makes it hard for us to clarify hard problems, regulate our
emotions, build moral courage and strengthen our relationships. As a result, the quality
of the life we live degrades. {21}

A 2015 study of iGens — teenagers born between 1995 and 2012 — by Common
Sense Media shows that they text and engage in social media for upwards of nine hours
daily, and as a result suffer a higher rate of psychological disorders relative to the
general population. Also, they are the group most vulnerable to depression and suicide;
because they have lost the ability to process and make sense of their emotions, or to
reflect on who they are and what really matters, or to build strong relationships, or even
to just allow their brains to power down. {22}

So how do we find solitude in the midst of the constant distractions these digital
technologies constitute?

We can deliberately create periods of solitude in our lives and cycle them with periods
of connectivity. US President Abraham Lincoln provides us with a good example. During
his Presidency, he had the practice of spending his summer nights in a decrepit cottage
overlooking a military cemetery in downtown Washington D.C. and returning to the
bustle of the White House in the mornings. {23}

Leaving our cellphones at home once in a while, taking long walks or writing letters to
our future selves are ways through which we can cycle periods of solitude with periods
of connectivity in our lives.

5. We are purpose-built for rich, offline interactions;

and not even time spent on social media can
compensate for that {24}
Aristotle once declared, “man is by nature a social animal.”

Our brains are sophisticated social computers enabling us to perform demanding feats
of social navigation and mind reading. Thus, we should be pessimistic when a digital
technology surfaces and threatens to disrupt the ways we connect and communicate
with others. If technology messes up with this core function of ours, something
somewhere has to break. {25}

Matthew Lieberman, a psychologist and author of “Social,” writes, “the brain did not
evolve over millions of years to spend its free time practicing something irrelevant to our
lives.” {26} His research reveals that our brains exist for formulating rich social
connections, and a lot of this socializing is programmed by nature to happen in our
spare time. {27}

Does time spent on social media fulfill this “socializing” need of ours? Several studies
suggest “no.”

A study led by Brian Primack of the University of Pittsburgh, and published in the
“American Journal of Preventive Medicine” concludes, “the more time one spends
‘connecting’ on these services (social media), the more isolated one is likely to
become.”

Another study led by Holly Shakya of the University of California and published in the
“American Journal of Epidemiology” reports, “the use of facebook was negatively
associated with well-being.” {28}

Both studies indicate a truth — the more time we spend on social media, the less time
we have for offline communication. And because our minds have been purpose-built by
nature for socializing in offline contexts, we break. {29}

Quoting MIT professor and author of “Reclaiming Conversation,” Sherry Turkle, “face-
to-face conversation is the most human and humanizing thing we do. It’s where we
develop the capacity for empathy. It’s where we experience the joy of being heard, of
being understood.” {30}
So what do we do to reclaim our sanity?

Let’s start by rebelling against the “Like” button on Facebook and all social media
networks. Let’s refuse to engage. Let’s stop leaving comments after posts.

We should stop all texting too — that is SMS, Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp. Text
messaging is not sufficiently rich to fulfill our brain’s need for real conversations.

Unhurried telephone conversations are a viable alternative for face-to-face

conversations, so we should set specific times aside for having them and let our circle
of family, friends and colleagues know these times. A Silicon Valley executive, for
example, notified his circle of his availability for telephone conversations from 5:30 p.m.
every week day. {31}

6. Our lives are well-lived if we are able to reclaim,

from digital technologies, the time and attention we
need to live purposeful, leisurely lives {32}
Aristotle in “Nicomachean Ethics” writes, “a life well-lived requires activities that serve
no other purpose than the satisfaction that the activity itself generates.” {33} We can
regard these activities as “high-quality leisure” — pursuits that provide us with a “source
of inward joy.” {34}

We experience a void — lack of joy — when we fail to live high-quality leisurely lives
because of the demands of modern-day work and the degrading of our community
traditions. {35} Most times we ignore the void by filling it with digital noise — the
mindless swiping and tapping of our devices as we use social media; {36} and thus
avoid asking ourselves deeper, existential questions.
Succeeding at digital minimalism requires that we make plans for filling the void before
attempting to declutter. We can start by renovating what we do with our free time, {37}
by cultivating high-quality leisure habits before cutting loose from the worst of our digital
habits. When the void is filled as nature intended it, we would have no need for
distractions to help us avoid it.

To cultivate these high-quality leisure activities and live our lives well, three practices
stand out.

One, we should strive for financial independence — a pecuniary state in which our
assets produce enough income to cover our living expenses — as soon as we can.
Financial independence is not a retirement goal or something we achieve through a
sizeable inheritance; everyone can work towards it. It will leave us with enough time on
our hands to live purposeful, leisurely lives. Also, it will help us be intentional about the
choices we make for our lives.

Two, we should focus on honing ourselves to perfection in our crafts because they are a
good source of high-quality leisure. A “craft” is any activity to which we apply skill to
create something valuable. Gary Rogowski, furniture maker and author of “Handmade:
Creative Focus in the Age of Distraction,” writes, “people have the need to put their
hands on tools and make things. We need this in order to feel whole …” because “…
long ago, we learned to think by using our hands, not the other way around.”

Thirdly, we should supercharge our sociability by building rich social interactions. We

can do this by playing board games with family, friends and colleagues (outside of work
hours, of course); or working out in a group in the open (social fitness) or joining a book
club. Activities like these require real-world, structured social interactions. {38}

7. We can resist the lure of new digital technologies

and the distraction they come with using some simple
life hacks {39}
Technology companies are able to attract their audiences because they exploit
psychological vulnerabilities to trick audiences into spending far more time on their
services than is optimal. For example, Facebook continues to market itself as a
“foundational technology” everyone must have, like electricity or mobile telephony. This
claim is a psychological sleight of hand. {40}

The right approach, then, to these technological tools, is to regard them as a collection
of free services and to carefully sift through all and use some in a manner that has us
deriving the maximum value we can from them. This is the rebellion we need to stage
against these technological tools in order to reclaim our time and attention. {41}

Below are proven hacks we can use to get this “rebellion” going.

We can limit ourselves to accessing our social media apps from our desktop computers
or laptops by deleting the apps from our smartphones. This will limit the amount of time
and attention we expend on the networks.

Another option is to turn our devices into “single-purpose computers” per time by using
“blocking” tools. These tools work by blocking a curated list of distracting websites and
applications across all of our devices, leaving them free for us to use for a dedicated
purpose per time. A good use case is setting up a blocking schedule that makes our
social media accounts unreachable during work hours.

A third option is to use social media “like a pro” and limit the number of “eyeball
minutes” we expend on it. We can use Facebook to follow only close friends and
relatives and catch up on their posts in a single 30-minute session every week, and use
Twitter to follow a select group of same-industry professionals and catch up on their
tweets in single 30-minute daily sessions.

Finally, we can embrace “slow media” by focusing on high-quality media; seeking out
the best arguments against our preferred positions on, say, political and cultural issues;
and being deliberate in how, when and for how long we consume media. {42}
“I used to be a human being. An endless
bombardment of news and gossip and
images has rendered us manic information
addicts. It broke me. It might break you
too.”
~ Andrew Sullivan, Blogger and
Commentator
CONCLUSION
The compulsive use of digital technologies — devices, apps, social networks — add no
value to our lives. Rather, they clutter it.

The technology companies who design and market them want us to believe they are
making our world better, but we understand that to be untrue. The only thing they want
to make better is their revenue.

A good understanding of this, and a recognition of the fact that we are not helpless in
the face of the onslaught being wrought by these technologies, is a good way to begin
our journey toward digital minimalism.

TRY THIS
• Download an app to help you track your use of your mobile phone and the time
you spend on social media networks. Track for 30 days and record your
observations in your journal; then review.
What is the data telling you about your use of time and attention?
What is your plan for bettering your use of these two resources of yours?
• Try out a blocking tool such as Freedom or SelfControl and use it as a tool for
maximizing your productivity. Record your successes and failures as you use
these tools in a journal and review after 30 days.
What is the data telling you?