Digital Minimalism

A Book Reflection

While reading the book "Digital Minimalism," I highlighted some things that caught my attention.

Overall, the book teaches a lot about how the digital age changes the way we live and how a penny newspaper first adapted the strategy that generates more money from attention. It also explains the philosophy of digital minimalism and how to practice it.

The book discusses how huge companies started turning website applications into native platforms to take advantage of their addictive features—the most addictive applications are inspired by casinos and designed to exploit the weak psychology of humans.

There is emphasis on reducing our device usage and assigning devices specific tasks to reduce clutter and increase productivity. The book advises using everything slowly and engaging in different activities. This way, when boredom strikes, meaningful activities can replace mindless phone use.

Lastly, the book encourages more interaction with real people. It argues that technology deprives us of analog cues in human interactions, relying instead on emotionless and sometimes deceptive digital cues, will just make us feel worse.

49 The cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life

This part of the book really struck me because the amount of time I spent using technology mindlessly has been enormous. It's difficult to calculate the overall time I've wasted since my first Cherry Mobile Phone introduced me to Facebook. I was using Facebook in the browser as far back as 2014. Just imagine how much time, over nearly 10 years of my life, I could have used to be more productive or just improve myself.

Well, it took me a decade to finally question how I use technology. Despite gaining a lot from Facebook—meeting friends, making mistakes, and facing controversies that led to a lot of self-diminishing actions—I now realize how those experiences shaped who I am today. Facebook became a significant part of my life, but I also came to understand that it wasn't fulfilling me when I spent most of my time on it mindlessly. That's why I've tried to break my dependency on it and use it primarily to gain value, rather than letting it profit from me.

50 It’s true that it takes more time to walk to town than to ride in a wagon.

In this line from "Walden," a book by Henry David Thoreau, which indeed prompts reflection and impartiality when considering how much time we spend. For example, if you want to buy a gas stove for convenience but can barely afford it, you exert a lot of time and effort just to achieve that convenience. However, when you calculate the time and effort required for gathering firewood compared to using a gas stove, the stove turns out to be more expensive and time-consuming.

Thoreau's point makes sense in many cases: living simply is something we should practice. Why spend so much time on things that barely improve our lives? A simple convenience often doesn't truly enhance our quality of life; we merely invest a lot of time for short-term convenience. Of course, this idea depends on the situation, but I agree with it. It often takes more time to walk to town than to ride in a wagon. So deep baby.

52 keep calculating, keep weighing. What exactly do I gain, or lose?

This is what I'm currently trying to do. For example, I just want to chat with a friend or check for messages I haven't read but end up watching stories and highlights in Facebook Messenger and it isn't fulfilling or meaningful to me anymore. Now, I'm focusing on evaluating what I should use this application for and what I should avoid. I hope to reshape how I use this platform so that I can spend more time on activities that will bring me happiness by the end of the day.

61 intention trumps convenience

We use our phones for the convenience of texting and staying updated with our friends. However, sometimes we end up distracted, navigating through different apps or mindlessly clicking on things online. Instead of allowing this to happen, we should be more intentional about our activities. For instance, when opening a messaging app, we can focus on specific tasks, like arranging a meeting with a friend at a certain date and time. While it might seem more convenient to chat rather than meet in person, intentionally using the chat application in this way gives us better control over our use of technology, rather than relying solely on it.

64 Part of what makes this philosophy (Digital Minimalism) so effective is that the very act of being selective about your tools will bring you satisfaction, typically much more than what is lost from the tools you decide to avoid.

The philosophy of digital minimalism isn't anti-technology, which is beneficial. One of its virtues is being highly selective about your tools. Rather than completely avoiding a particular tool, strive to be mindful and selective in how you use it to extract value and derive satisfaction. This approach allows you to leverage technology effectively by understanding your specific use case and using it intentionally. It's about embracing technology while maintaining awareness and control, rather than opting for a completely primitive lifestyle.

81 the digital minimalist deploys technology to serve the things they find most important in their life

Yes! If technolgy is not that important like Facebook in Mobile Phone then dont install it!

97 Solitude is about what’s happening in your brain, not the environment around you. Accordingly, they define it to be a subjective state in which your mind is free from input from other minds.

Another lesson from the book emphasizes the importance of experiencing solitude. Some people mistakenly equate solitude with isolation or loneliness. However, as understood by those who study and embrace solitude, it's more about freeing your mind from external distractions. It's akin to meditation, where you can delve deeply into your thoughts without the influence of others.

Personally, I find myself experiencing this often when I'm alone. It's something I've been particularly drawn to since I started changing my technology habits. While outwardly I may appear withdrawn, inwardly my thoughts are active and focused, detached from the influence of others.

While outwardly I may appear deadpan, inwardly my thoughts are active and focused, detached from the influence of others. Let's practice solitude guys.

99 I acknowledge solitude an agreeable refreshment to a busy mind.

Same here!

99 Conversation enriches the understanding, but solitude is the school of genius.

Yes, having conversations helps you understand things, but truly talking to yourself allows you to deeply dive into a topic and see it from as many perspectives as possible.

103 At the slightest hint of boredom, you can now surreptitiously glance at any number of apps or mobile-adapted websites that have been optimized to provide you an immediate and satisfying dose of input from other minds.

Social media addicts will really relate to this. I really notice this everywhere: when people get bored, they turn to their phones either to avoid awkward silence or simply because they're not interested. These applications, originally from the web, have taken advantage of mobile features and ease of use to constantly make us feel like we're doing something productive. In reality, though, you're right— these apps and us are destroying the genuine human experience without us even realizing it. What a productive destruction.

105 When you avoid solitude, you miss out on the positive things it brings you: the ability to clarify hard problems, to regulate your emotions, to build moral courage, and to strengthen relationships.

109 humans are not wired to be constantly wired

I find this quote interesting because it makes sense; when we are constantly connected, we tend to take things for granted. They become vague and lose their value. To retain this sentiment, we sometimes need to disconnect and just be with ourselves, which connects us to the previous highlight! Interesting.

111 What Thoreau sought in his experiment at Walden was the ability to move back and forth between a state of solitude and a state of connection

We should not always be alone, just as we should not always be connected. Finding a balance and the ability, like Thoreau, to switch between these two states of solitude and connection is essential for us to achieve a well-balanced life.

111 As Thoreau’s example emphasizes, there’s nothing wrong with connectivity, but if you don’t balance it with regular doses of solitude, its benefits will diminish.

115 the urgency we feel to always have a phone with us is exaggerated

Yes, addicts will get furious when they here this.

124 write a letter to yourself

Yes I do

132 we are interested in the social world because we are built to turn on the default network during our free time.

Another lesson I learned from this book is about the 'default network' in our brains, which turns on when we are not actively thinking about something. They call it the default network because it's the part of our brain that naturally reflects on our social life.

This part of the brain is indeed involved in processing emotional and social information feelings of pain when we experience breakups, the death of loved ones, or separation, which is quite remarkable.

The DN is a network of brain regions that are active when the brain is at rest and not engaged in specific tasks. It's involved in self-referential thinking, introspection, and processing information related to one's internal and external environment, including social interactions and relationships.

This aspect of the book is fascinating because it highlights how humans, as social animals, exhibit this automatic brain activity during periods of non-focused thinking. It's another scientific proof of our innate social nature. Cool.

132 Put another way, our brains adapted to automatically practice social thinking during any moments of cognitive downtime

132 The loss of social connection, for example, turns out to trigger the same system as physical pain

134 —a sort of social fast food

In the book, fast food is likened to social media or mindless technology use, consuming low-quality products devoid of substantial value.

135 Feeling Lonely? Too Much Time on Social Media Might Be Why.

Legit!

138 The studies that found positive results focused on specific behaviors of social media users, while the studies that found negative results focused on overall use of these services.

In the book, Cal Newport compared different studies on social media, and this is what he found: an article studying specific behaviors of social media users, published by a Facebook employee, suggested positive implications of social media for users. In contrast, most articles studying the overall use of these services, published by various researchers, concluded that social media has a negative overall impact on humans.

138 the more you use social media to interact with your network, the less time you devote to offline communication

True, I've noticed this when we chat excessively. Instead of understanding our friend's feelings or reactions through chat, we end up guessing. The more we engage in social media chatting, the less we communicate in person because we run out of topics. It's better to chat less and save meaningful conversations for in-person interactions.

138 Shakya told NPR, “is that we have evidence that replacing your real-world relationships with social media use is detrimental to your well-being.”

139 Where we want to be cautious . . . is when the sound of a voice or a cup of coffee with a friend is replaced with ‘likes’ on a post.

139 As argued earlier in the chapter, these offline interactions are incredibly rich because they require our brains to process large amounts of information about subtle analog cues such as body language, facial expressions, and voice tone.

140 This is why the value generated by a Facebook comment or Instagram like—although real—is minor compared to the value generated by an analog conversation or shared real-world activity.

140 Humans are naturally biased toward activities that require less energy in the short term, even if it’ s more harmful in the long term—so we end up texting our sibling instead of calling them on the phone, or liking a picture of a friend’s new baby instead of stopping by to visit.

Because some activities we find intimidating trigger our brain's fight-or-flight response. Often, we choose flight, procrastinating instead of facing the challenge. Developing the self-control to tackle these tasks requires strong willpower, which can be cultivated through consistent effort to make it a habit.

140 When you spend multiple hours a day compulsively clicking and swiping, there’s much less free time left for slower interactions.

143 digital communication tools, if used without intention, have a way of forcing a trade-off between conversation and connection.

144 In this philosophy, connection is downgraded to a logistical role. This form of interaction now has two goals: to help set up and arrange conversation, or to efficiently transfer practical information (e.g., a meeting location or time for an upcoming event). Connection is no longer an alternative to conversation; it’s instead its supporter.

~ Biggest Highlight ~

149 To click “Like,” within the precise definitions of information theory, is literally the least informative type of nontrivial communication, providing only a minimal one bit of information about the state of the sender (the person clicking the icon on a post) to the receiver (the person who published the post).

This is why they say that social media doesn't provide a rich communication experience: it only gives you limited information based on likes, whereas in-person communication includes a lot of analog cues.

154 Being less available over text, in other words, has a way of paradoxically strengthening your relationship even while making you (slightly) less available to those you care about.

This is what Kian and Sir Stanley said to me, to encourage girls to think more about you and be curious about what's happening with you (building intensity in the relationship). It's backed by evidence and seems to be based on their experiences. Wow! Lessons in love and communication!

164 Harris felt uncomfortable, in other words, not because he was craving a particular digital habit, but because he didn’t know what to do with himself once his general access to the world of connected screens was removed.

In the book, the author shares notes from his readers, one of which resonates deeply with me. It highlights my initial struggle when attempting to reduce my social media consumption—I feared missing out, though in reality, it often amounted to no one caring. This strong sense of withdrawal led me back to mindless habits.

That was me before.

168 Speaking to the Hamilton Club in Chicago in the spring of 1899, Theodore Roosevelt famously said: “I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life.”

In the book, Newport highlighted three examples of people, including Theodore Roosevelt, who chose to spend their time engaging in physical activities. One key takeaway I recall is the importance of using our hands for meaningful life activities instead of mindlessly scrolling and tapping on social media. Newport underscored that human survival historically involved using our hands to create crafts. With the dominance of technology, there's a concern that we may mistakenly interpret using our hands for using technology mindlessly as productive.

171 Leisure Lesson #1: Prioritize demanding activity over passive consumption.

I'm trying to reach a state where, instead of mindlessly consuming social media content, I dedicate my time to reading books. Reading books is more demanding than online content because it requires time and effort to truly comprehend their meaning and value. In social media, you often scroll through vast amounts of content without taking time to reflect on what you're actually doing.

172 Many people experience the world largely through a screen now,” Rogowski writes. “We live in a world that is working to eliminate touch as one of our senses, to minimize the use of our hands to do things except poke at a screen.” The result is a mismatch between our equipment and our experience.

174 Crawford implies, these digital cries for attention are often a poor substitute for the recognition generated by handicraft, as they’re not backed by the hard-won skill required to tame the “infallible judgment” of physical reality, and come across instead as “the boasts of a boy

175 Leisure Lesson #2: Use skills to produce valuable things in the physical world.

I don't know if film making is counted here.

177 supercharged socializing—interactions with higher intensity levels than are common in polite society.

In the book, the author highlights groups of moms, groups of men who are workout enthusiasts on the street, CrossFit, and Benjamin Franklin's organization. These groups are organized with specific rules and bring together people with similar interests, strengthening social interactions through shared interests, unique culture and structured rules. This combination is seen as a perfect recipe for fostering stronger social connections.

177 These benefits of old-fashioned, in-person playing help explain why even the fanciest video games and shiniest mobile entertainments haven’t ruined the board game industry. As Sax writes: “On a social level, video games are decidedly low bandwidth compared to the experience of playing a game on a square of flat cardboard with another human being.

In the book, it is also highlighted that board games, despite the dominance of video games, remain popular. This emphasizes that physical games continue to captivate humans due to their real-world interactions and experiences.

181 The local new-mom boot camp, F3, and CrossFit are successful for the same reason as the Snakes & Lattes board game café: they are leisure activities that enable the types of energized and complex sociality that are otherwise rare in normal life.

181 The most successful social leisure activities share two traits. First, they require you to spend time with other people in person. As emphasized, there’s a sensory and social richness to real-world encounters that’s largely lost in virtual connections, so spending time with your World of Warcraft clan doesn’t qualify. The second trait is that the activity provides some sort of structure for the social interaction, including rules you have to follow, insider terminology or rituals, and often a shared goal. As argued, these constraints paradoxically enable more freedom of expression. Your CrossFit buddies will holler and whoop, and give you emphatic high fives and sweaty hugs with a joyous enthusiasm that would seem insane in most other contexts.

182 Leisure Lesson #3: Seek activities that require real-world, structured social interactions.

183 It’s a physical object that demands (cognitive) struggle before it begins to return value—but when it does, the value is more substantial and lasting than the sugar high of a lightweight digital distraction.

184 It does so in two primary ways: by helping people find communities related to their interests and providing easy access to the sometimes obscure information needed to support specific quality pursuits. If you move to a new city and want to find other people who share your interest in debating literature, the Mouse Book Club can help connect you to some nearby bibliophiles.

The established solution of Mouse Book Club for it's members

0 Reading without reflection is like eating without digestion

Just saw in Mouse Book Club Kickstarter's post.

185 I then concluded with the caveat that although these activities are primarily analog in nature, their successful execution often depends on the strategic use of new technologies.

author noted

192 if you’re simply corralling these behaviors to specific periods, it becomes much harder for the skeptical part of your mind to mount a strong case.

At first, the challenge of staying off our devices often triggers a strong urge to check them, fearing we might miss something important. To manage this, it's beneficial to schedule specific times to check our devices. This approach helps calm our skeptical minds and prevents unnecessary anxiety about not checking. Providing our minds with a clear plan alleviates the feeling of missing out, making it easier to resist the urge.

192 The aggressiveness of your restrictions will naturally increase as they allow you to integrate more and more higher-quality pursuits into your life.

I'm adhering to restrictions at an intermediate level.

193 PRACTICE: JOIN SOMETHING

I agree. Before, I used to prefer being alone and not participating in things, just wanting to be by myself. However, I've come to realize that doing something or joining something, even if it doesn't seem significant, makes me feel accomplished and helps me learn. It's a good way to pass the time. Also you gain connections with other peole if lucky to interact with them

205 Tim Wu (who wrote a book on this topic titled The Attention Merchants) traces the beginning of this economic model to 1830, when the newspaper publisher Benjamin Day launched the New York Sun, the first penny press newspaper. Up to that point, publishers considered their readers to be their customers, and saw their goal as providing a product good enough to convince people to pay to read it. Day’s innovation was to realize that his readers could become his product and the advertisers his customers. His goal became to sell as many minutes of his readers’ attention as possible to the advertisers. To do so, he lowered the price of the Sun to a penny and pushed more mass interest stories. “He was the first person to really appreciate the idea—you gather a crowd, and you’re not interested in that crowd for its money,” Wu explained in a speech, “but because you can resell them to someone else who wants their attention.”

Thanks to the book, I learned about the discovery of attention economy and who first benefited and took advantage of it! Wow, what a great mind.

208 Now imagine that Facebook started charging you by the minute. How much time would you really need to spend in the typical week to keep up with your list of important Facebook activities? For most people, the answer is surprisingly small; somewhere around twenty to thirty minutes.

Now this part of the book makes us ponder the importance of spending time on these platforms and how much it costs us, and whether we're willing to invest in it. Upon reflection, many of us might answer 'very little time.'

209 Critical use is a critical problem for the digital attention economy.

If we stop, they're under threat, but we humans like free services, not knowing our time isn't. Ah, ironic!

211 to come out on the winning side of this battle requires both preparation and a ruthless commitment to avoiding exploitation.

212 some of these engineers’ most ingenious attention traps—including the slot machine action of swiping down to refresh a feed, or alarm-red notification badges—are mobile-only “innovations.

214 PRACTICE: TURN YOUR DEVICES INTO SINGLE-PURPOSE COMPUTERS

In practice, currently, this quarter. As they say, "don't put all your eggs in one basket".

215 There’s an even deeper irony, and also a retro element, in the idea of taking a powerful productivity machine like a modern laptop computer and shutting down some of its core functions in order to increase productivity.

216 The idea that one machine could perform many different tasks was a key selling point.

Before, for me, a faster computer meant productive multitasking. Now, a powerful computer means a faster application.

216 As Stutzman learned while trying to write his doctoral dissertation, jumping from a word processor to a web browser requires only a single quick click. As many have discovered, the rapid switching between different applications tends to make the human’s interaction with the computer less productive in terms of the quality and quantity of what is produced.

truth

217 computers that are general purpose in the long run, but are effectively single purpose in any given moment.

223 PRACTICE: EMBRACE SLOW MEDIA

For example, Don't consume the latest news hastily, as they often provoke immediate reactions. Instead, wait for trusted sources to cover the topic thoroughly. This approach saves time by providing detailed and explicit information, unlike quick-fire reports that spread across different platforms.

Take in online information slowly.

225 The slightest hint of boredom becomes a trip wire to activate this whole hulking Rube Goldberg apparatus.

Mindlessly clicking from link to link, platform to platform, until you realize you've wasted a lot of time.

233 Remember how Hollier and Tang opened their manifesto with the idea “Your Time = Their Money.

236 Digital minimalists see new technologies as tools to be used to support things they deeply value— not as sources of value themselves.

Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World

The End

Thank you!