Demystify Tribune’s Book Reviews — Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport | #6

Rachel Strathdee, April 27th, 2023

Due to the near-ubiquitous nature of technology, secondary students that struggle with tech-based procrastination, self-regulating their screentime or over-reliance on their devices would benefit from reading Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport, an accredited computer science professor and author of Deep Work.

Published in 2019, Newport’s book provides a sort of guide for cutting back on technology use, with a focus on combating the behavioral addictions created by smartphones and social media.The central idea is to avoid using technology mindlessly or as a sort of “time-suck”, but instead optimizing your usage and using your devices consciously and intentionally. What makes this book a must-read is the writing style; while reducing your tech use seems like a great idea, for many it feels much harder than simply putting down your phone and walking away. Newport not only explains the benefits of lowering your screen time, but he provides detailed, actionable activities than anyone can implement, all of which are backed up by science. I personally really enjoyed this book, and, as it helped me conduct my own “digital detox”, I think it is a valuable book for any secondary student looking to distance themselves from tech and increase their productivity.