Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport

Digital Minimalism

by Cal Newport

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestseller

"Newport is making a bid to be the Marie Kondo of technology: someone with an actual plan for helping you realize the digital pursuits that do, and don't, bring value to your life."--Ezra Klein, Vox

Minimalism is the art of knowing how much is just enough. Digital minimalism applies this idea to our personal technology. It's the key to living a focused life in an increasingly noisy world.

In this timely and enlightening book, the bestselling author of Deep Work introduces a philosophy for technology use that has already improved countless lives.

Digital minimalists are all around us. They're the calm, happy people who can hold long conversations without furtive glances at their phones. They can get lost in a good book, a woodworking project, or a leisurely morning run. They can have fun with friends and family without the obsessive urge to document the experience. They stay informed about the news of the day, but don't feel overwhelmed by it. They don't experience "fear of missing out" because they already know which activities provide them meaning and satisfaction.

Now, Newport gives us a name for this quiet movement, and makes a persuasive case for its urgency in our tech-saturated world. Common sense tips, like turning off notifications, or occasional rituals like observing a digital sabbath, don't go far enough in helping us take back control of our technological lives, and attempts to unplug completely are complicated by the demands of family, friends and work. What we need instead is a thoughtful method to decide what tools to use, for what purposes, and under what conditions.

Drawing on a diverse array of real-life examples, from Amish farmers to harried parents to Silicon Valley programmers, Newport identifies the common practices of digital minimalists and the ideas that underpin them. He shows how digital minimalists are rethinking their relationship to social media, rediscovering the pleasures of the offline world, and reconnecting with their inner selves through regular periods of solitude. He then shares strategies for integrating these practices into your life, starting with a thirty-day "digital declutter" process that has already helped thousands feel less overwhelmed and more in control.

Technology is intrinsically neither good nor bad. The key is using it to support your goals and values, rather than letting it use you. This book shows the way.

Reviewed by Angie on

3 of 5 stars

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I’ve been on a minimalist journey for past two-ish years, so Digital Minimalism is a book that naturally came onto my radar. I like the idea of digital minimalism, but I don’t think the way that the author presents it here was very convincing. In all honesty, this felt like a long winded blog post about why Facebook is bad and how smartphones have taken over our lives. I don’t disagree with either point, but I think the real message got lost in those sentiments.

I’ll start off by saying that it felt weird to have a man who has never used Facebook (or any social media) tell me to stop using Facebook. He’s clearly not an expert on that subject, but I was still interested in how to apply minimalism to my digital life. I 100% agree that most of us spend too much time on our social media app of choice and that we should be more mindful with our usage. This also applies to other digital media, and I immediately deleted the only three games from my phone, because I realized that I do plan my entire day around using them. That is bad, and I actually didn’t feel deprived the following day or weeks, so this tells me that those games weren’t really adding any value to my life.

Digital Minimalism is very focused on taking our social interactions and leisure activities offline and into the “real” world. Maybe he’s right, but also, what about the people who are unable to–or simply don’t want to–have face to face conversation or participate in activities outside of the home? (Let’s not even get into the fact that I read this during COVID-19 lock-down.) Social media and other online spaces may be the way they connect with other people. It’s unfair to assume that in person interactions are the only way to have meaningful conversation and experiences. This concession is not once mentioned and is a gross oversight.

I did find Digital Minimalism to be an interesting read. I obviously don’t agree with everything, but it did make me think about my own habits when it comes to my smartphone. The only social media site that I’m active on is Instagram and I don’t plan on giving it up, because I do find value and enjoyment in it. However, I am going to be mindful of the amount of time that I spend mindlessly scrolling. I could be using that time for something more engaging, such as reading or learning Japanese.

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Reading updates

  • 14 September, 2020: Started reading
  • 14 September, 2020: on page 0 out of 304 0%
  • 15 September, 2020: Finished reading
  • 15 September, 2020: Reviewed