Book Club: “Digital Minimalism”

By Cal Newport

# Philosophy of Digital Minimalism

– have a small core of online activities which align with your values, then happily miss out on everything else. Something having a possible benefit is not enough reason to use it.

## Principles for how this works:

• – Clutter is costly
  • – Henry David Thoreaus theory of economics – the cost of the thing is the amount of time which must be exchanged for the thing.
• – Optimization is important
  • – the law of diminishing returns
    • – for news, set the interesting articles as read later for review later in the week.
• – Intentionality is satisfying
  • – The Amish Hacking Philosophy – a very principled use for technology, focusing on maximizing positives and minimizing negatives. Very local Focused. Intention trumps convenience.

# Digital Declutter – to rapidly switch to a digital minimalist lifestyle

## 1. Take a 30 day/One Month break from tech

1. Define which techs you are going to break from. Websites, apps, maybe games, video Entertainment. Keep only techs needed to keep relationships and professional work. Restrictions can be used to limit overuse of neccessary apps when bans would be harmful.
2. The 30 day break helps break. Addictive habits before setting new ones.

## 2. During which you explore/reengage with other satisfying activities and hobbies

1. Spend time in solitude
   • 1. Solitude – a subjective state in which your mind is free from input from other minds.
   • 2. Just as important as social activity, need both.
   • 3. Solitude deprivation – a state of spending 0 time in solitude.
   • 4. Spend time away from your phone for extended periods of time each day.
   • 5. Take long walks/Hikes.
   • 6. Write letters to yourself.
2. 2. Reclaim non textual Face to Face Conversation.
   • 1. Shift texting into consolidated sessions at pre-specified times.
   • 2. Set up Conversation Office Hours.
3. 3. Reclaim Leisure
   • 1. Prioritize demanding activity over passive consumption
     • 1. Work on projects/virtuous Hobbies
     • 2. Active leisure
       • 1. How To Live on 14 hours a day
       • 2. The Bennett Principle – the mind doesn’t need rest, just change.
   • 2. Craft – any activity where skill is used to produce something valuable.
     • 1. Prioritize analog over digital
     • 2. Fix or build something every week
   • 3. Social, Structured activities
     • 1. ​Social workout
     • 2. Analog in person TableTop Games
     • 3. Sports leagues
     • 4. Volunteering
     • 5. Group projects
   • 4. Use tech to support high quality leasure, not Mindlessly replace it.
     • 1. Mouse book – a little book to replace phone.
     • 2. Schedule low quality techs for limited times. Recs 20-40 min per week
   • 5. Join a group that brings people together for useful Ends.
     • 1. The Junto – Benjamin Franklin’s self Improvement society.
   • 6. Leisure Plans
     • 1. Seasonal – objectives and habits
     • 2. Weekly – review seasonal and schedule implementations during the week with reminders.

## 3. At the end reintroduce only techs that bring significant value

1. Don’t just reintroduce everything.only let back in tech that support something you deeply value and is the best way to do so,and then only. Use it in the way most optimal for supporting that value.
2. Use only the specific services from Social Media that actually helps you. This is a struggle as the apps work Against you.
   • 1. Delete the apps From your phone. Worst traps are mobile Only.
   • 2. Limit general Purpose Devices to Narrower uses.
   • 3. Don’t use social Media as entertainment, news, debate,
   • 4. Keep engagement below the Dunbar number.
3. 3. Embrace slow media
   • 1. Highest quality sources
   • 2. Avoid breaking news
   • 3. Follow specific writers
   • 4. Get opposing viewpoints.
   • 5. Isolate news to specific times and places.
4. 4. Dumb down your smart Phone