Digital Minimalism Book Summary - Digital Minimalism Book explained in key points

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Digital Minimalism summary

Name: Digital Minimalism
Rating: 4.5 (741 reviews)
Author: Cal Newport

Cal Newport

Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World

4.5 (741 ratings)

20 mins

Topics

Routines & Habits Focus Overcoming Addiction Social Media Effectiveness The Internet

Table of Contents

Digital Minimalism
Summary of 8 key ideas

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What’s in it for me? Learn how to take back your life from the powerful forces of the attention economy.

There have been many technological hallmarks over the past twenty years or so, but one that may not spring immediately to mind is the “Like” button. When this click of approval debuted in 2007, on the long-forgotten social feed aggregator FriendFeed, it was only a matter of time before it became a standard feature on every social media platform to come. After all, this simple feature, and the endless notifications it generates, is a great way to collect data on our preferences and behaviors, and to keep users hooked.

It’s no wonder people are finally starting to push back against social media and recognize that these technologies may be doing more harm than good. Indeed, a steady output of research has been opening our eyes to the many negative effects related to social media and smartphones.

In this book, professor Cal Newport conducted his own experiment. 1,600 volunteers followed his guidelines for a month-long technological sabbatical, providing him with valuable feedback. The result of this study is digital minimalism: a way to step back from the onslaught of digital distractions and find a more satisfying and rewarding way of life.

In these blinks, you’ll find out

how social media is like big tobacco;
how the Amish can help you to better use your smartphone; and
how your attention became more valuable than oil.

These days, devices intended for telephone calls and portable music have turned into addictive and dangerous tools.

In 2016, New York magazine ran an article by the popular writer Andrew Sullivan. In 7,000 words, the author described how the constant onslaught of news, images and online babble finally “broke” him. There’s a good chance you’re familiar with the symptoms of what Sullivan was writing about – the constant urge to take out your smartphone and check your texts, email or social media feeds, the strange dull sensation of a moment when you’re not using digital media. How did we end up here?

One important thing to realize is that the technology at the center of this problem was never intended to be used in the way it is now. When the first smartphone, the iPhone, debuted in 2007, Steve Jobs introduced the device as “the best iPod ever.” It was a cool way for you to make phone calls and also listen to your music. According to Andy Grignon, an Apple engineer on the first iPhone project, Jobs dismissed the idea of the iPhone becoming a platform for third-party apps and gaming.

As for Facebook, it’s well known that in 2004 Facebook was considered a clever novelty – a way to find out more about a friend of a friend – not a major source of news or even a popular time waster. For most college students in 2004, the computer strategy game Snood was far more popular than Facebook.

So, when people first brought iPhones and Facebook into their lives, they weren’t signing up for something they would spend hours every day looking at. This dangerous and addictive side to technology is something that’s crept up on us, thanks to the very intentional work of social media engineers. In a 2017 episode of the HBO talk show Real Time, Bill Maher referred to the “social media tycoons” as being the new big tobacco, selling products designed to be as addictive as possible.

Indeed, much has been written about the tactics used to get and keep our attention, including the way some tech companies take advantage of the natural human desire for social approval. One of the most significant developments took place in 2009 when Facebook introduced the thumbs up button, a variant of FriendFeed’s “like” button. Now, when someone posted something, it became a deeply interactive experience. How many people in my tribe would like what I posted? There was a primal urge to keep checking in and we have become finely attuned to the notification sounds accompanying these responses.

Digital minimalism is based on the philosophy that less can be more.

If we hope to protect ourselves against the bright minds of Silicon Valley, eager to exploit our vulnerabilities, we need a strong defense. This is why the author, Cal Newport, proposes a lifestyle he calls digital minimalism.

There are plenty of people recommending quick fixes like simply disabling the notifications on your smartphone, but Newport doesn’t trust these little adjustments to make much difference in the long run. After all, the author of one such article said he disabled the notifications on 112 apps, which begs the question, do you really need that many apps in the first place?

The principles of digital minimalism are based on two economic hallmarks and the wisdom of the Amish.

Digital minimalism is based on three principles – clutter is costly, optimization is important and intentionality is satisfying.

The first principle relates to the New Economics famously promoted by Henry David Thoreau in his book Walden. Basically, New Economics includes life costs when calculating what something is really worth. For instance, if you want to buy a car to drive into town instead of walking, Thoreau would remind you that the price you pay for the car isn’t its only cost, it’s also the time, stress and effort it takes to earn this money and to keep the car secure and in working order. In the end, the cost may far exceed the healthy act of walking into town. This same scrutiny should go into every bit of digital media you let into your life. Ask yourself what you are really gaining from it, and what the time and attention costs are. Are you sure you can’t perform the same task in a different way?

Undergoing a digital declutter begins with a thirty-day break, followed by a critical reintroduction of certain tools.

If the principles of digital minimalism sound good, then the way to begin is to undergo thirty days of digital declutter. It’s important to recognize that this isn’t a digital detox period since a detox implies that you’ll return to your regular habits afterward. This period is about stopping what you’ve been doing in order to consider a new way forward.

With this in mind, for thirty days, plan on cutting all non-essential technology from your life. This means anything that you don’t absolutely need to keep working and functioning on a day-to-day basis.

To prevent the symptoms of solitude deprivation, practice leaving the phone at home and walking more often.

The problem with a lot of “life hacks” and quick fixes is that they don’t set you up for sustainable change. They might prompt you to start a healthy new habit, but once you hit a snag or run into a problem, it’s all too easy to give up and say the fix didn’t stick. This is why digital minimalism has a variety of recommended practices that align with the lifestyle and are proven to have the kind of meaningful and rewarding value that is missing from a lot of digital-based activities. The first recommendation is solitude – a valuable commodity that new technology often takes away.

If you were born before the mid-80s, you probably have clear memories of life before the smartphone. But people born between 1995 and 2012 essentially grew up with smartphones, and now spend an average of nine hours a day on these devices. World-renowned generational researcher Jean Twenge noticed a shocking uptick in psychological health issues with this group, dubbed the “iGen,” with a higher percentage of depression, suicide, eating disorders, homesickness and, above all, anxiety.

To feel less alone, stop clicking and instead schedule your texting and calling times.

We’ve spent thousands of years developing a brain that has a complex network of neurons for the purpose of processing an intricate social life. It stands to reason that this brain would not be satisfied with emojis and hashtags. It may come as no surprise, then, that according to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the more time spent on social media, the more likely you are to feel lonely.

So the next recommended digitally minimalist practice is to stop clicking “like.”

For more meaningful leisure, embrace strenuous and virtuous hobbies and schedule low-quality activities.

You shouldn’t underestimate the value of quality leisure time. As the legendary philosopher Aristotle pointed out, to live the good life, one must have the downtime needed for deep contemplation, for no other reason than to enjoy the activity itself. As Aristotle expert Kieran Setiya elaborates, activities that provide a “source of inward joy” are vital to a satisfying life.

The author calls these activities high-quality leisure while calling digital distractions such as social media and absent-minded bingeing low-quality leisure. Therefore, one aim of digital minimalism is to make more room for the high-quality while purposefully limiting low-quality time.

Advice from the Attention Resistance includes downgrading your phone and using single-purpose devices.

With so many people glued to their smartphones and social media accounts, you may think of digital minimalism as an extreme and unusual idea. But the truth is, digital minimalism is just one part of a growing worldwide movement known as the Attention Resistance.

This movement gets its name from the industry that many of today’s major tech businesses are in – the attention economy. Companies like Facebook make their money the same way tabloid newspapers did in the 1800s. They draw a big audience and then sell that audience’s attention to advertisers who pitch them their products and services. The more people they attract, and the longer they can keep their attention, the more money they get from advertisers. These days, getting attention is more valuable than getting oil, with Google valued at $800 billion, Facebook at $500 billion and ExxonMobile at $370 billion.

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What is Digital Minimalism about?

Digital Minimalism (2018) is a practical guide to navigating today’s media landscape, where multiple billion-dollar companies are out to keep your eyes as glued to their platforms as possible. Fortunately, there is growing skepticism surrounding new technology and digital media. People are eager to regain their autonomy and, while they’re at it, live more satisfying and healthy lives. With these tools and methods, you too can regain the focus and productivity that comes from stepping back from new technology.

Best quote from Digital Minimalism

The average Facebook user, by contrast, spends around 350 minutes per week on this companys services.

—Cal Newport

Who should read Digital Minimalism?

Anyone feeling overwhelmed with social media
People looking for tips to boost productivity
News junkies in need of a detox

About the Author

Cal Newport is a professor at Georgetown University, where he teaches Computer Science and frequently writes about the impact technology has on our daily lives. His previous books include Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World (2016).

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