#GuidingQuestions 3 — What we can learn from Digital Minimalism
I keep a weekly newsletter called #GuidingQuestions. I figured I’d post this week’s letter here in case my readers find it interesting. You can sign up here if ya do :D
Hey Friends,
Last week I read Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism. In it, Cal argues that we should drastically reduce our digital consumption for our productivity’s sake and our happiness. In the last decade there has been a radical shift in the amount of external input we receive, largely due to the prevalence of social media. Cal argues that this isn’t inherently a bad thing but we need to be mindful of the effects of over consumption.
The idea that struck a chord with me was that consuming too much media leaves little room for solitude. In his book, Cal defines solitude as any time when you’re free from external input. Many of history’s great thinkers, from scientists to writers to artists, attest that their best ideas and works came from long moments of isolation. With the average North American spending 3–4 hours on social media apps each day, there’s little time left for the kind of free-form thinking facilitated by boredom and isolation.
So, how do we reclaim our solitude? The Digital Fast. Cal advocates for a 30 day cleanse where we cut out all non-vital technology: facebook, Reddit, instagram, YouTube, tv, email, texting etc. Exemptions for work necessities. During this 30 day tech purge, we replace these with activities with hands-on hobbies, face to face time with loved ones, and a touch of boredom.
I’ve been trying it for about 3 weeks now and I’ve found it liberating. My phone screen time has gone down from 3 hours a day to less than 1 where that 1 hour is mostly using the Apple Notes app to record blog, newsletter, and research ideas. I have way more time to read and write, go on long walks which has been great for my health, do hobby coding, and play guitar again. I’ve also been making a habit of scheduling calls with my friends as opposed to texting them and found that I feel closer and more engaged in their lives.
I’ve made some concessions of course. I need to use email and WhatsApp for work, I use Notion for my weekly planning and note taking, and I allow myself to watch TV with my partner and friends as a social thing.
To help me watch my usage of the work apps I couldn’t uninstall, I also use one-sec, an app that intervenes any time I open a blocked application. It prompts with a 5 second deep breathing intervention and asks if I really want to open the app. It’s a little thing that helps me be intentional about when I use these apps and keeps them from bleeding into my free-time.
My #GuidingQuestions for this week:
💡 What does this technology do for me and is it worth the cost?
As my 30 day digital cleanse comes to a close, I’m asking myself what apps and tech I’d like to add back to my life. The Guiding Question “What does this technology do for me and is it worth the cost?” Is what I’m using to determine if something is worth adding back.
By cost, I mean the amount of time it consumes and the pull it has on my attention. For example, Reddit is something I used to learn about hobbies. But, continuing to scroll Reddit after I learned whatever I was interested in became a huge time sink and borderline compulsive. I can get all the hobby knowledge I want out of blogs, books, and conversations with friends about those hobbies. Reddit won’t be coming back.
One thing I am reintroducing is Discord. I use Discord to talk to many of my friends — we have a pretty large community — and I do miss engaging with them there. However, I do want to be mindful of my use. Before this Digital Minimalism practice, I checked discord constantly. It was a way for me to avoid sitting with my own thoughts. To make sure I don’t slip into old habits, I’m keeping discord off my phone — laptop only — and scheduling specific times to be on discord for group calls with friends. I get all the benefits of Discord without it cutting into my solitude or constantly tugging on my attention.
All in all, my gentle foray into digital minimalism has freed up my time, gave me space to write and brainstorm ideas, and improved my mental health and connections to loved ones. I definitely won’t be going back, but I’ll probably soften up a bit and make room for a little casual YouTube viewing here and there 😄
💌 These are a few of my favourite things
🛠️ Favourite Tools: Leather bound journal and Pilot E95S pen.
I’ve been making a habit of journaling for 10 to 20 minutes every morning and it does wonders for clearing my head. I have a very loud and cluttered mind, especially in the mornings. Writing stream of consciousness helps me move the clutter from my head to the page so I can focus throughout the rest of the day. This is made all the more enjoyable by my snazzy journal and pen which I got off Gouletpens.com
📀 Favourite software: Hazel for MacOS
Hazel is a deceptively useful Mac app that does rule based organization of files automatically. I’ve been using it to organize my downloads into documents, pictures, installers, etc. It also marks the newest files as green, days old files as yellow, and the oldest files as read so I can easily find what I’ve just downloaded. You can find Hazel here.
📖 Favourite Content: On Writing Well
Lately I’ve been trying to improve the quality of my writing. On Writing Well by William Zinsser is a witty, fun, and informative guide to writing non-fiction. I’m slowly trying to incorporate Zinsser’s tips as I practice writing this newsletter and my blog.
✏️ My Other Recent Stuff
My Journey Through Reductionism and Determinism
🥂 Cheers,
Nathan Laundry
from the IAI Lab at UofT
Newsletter signup: https://guidingquestions.nocodeletters.com/
Check out my other content at my website nathanlaundry.com
Check out the lab I work at here: http://www.josephjaywilliams.com/
