Name: Malcolm Reddoch's review of Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
Item: Digital Minimalism
Rating: 4
Author: Malcolm Reddoch

Cal Newport

New York Times Bestseller 'Digital Minimalism is the Marie Kondo of mobile phones' Evening Standard 'An eloquent, powerful and enjoyably practical guide to cutting back on screen time' The Times 'An urgent call to action for anyone serious about being in command of their own life' Ryan Holiday, author of The Obstacle is the Way 'What a timely and useful book' Naomi Alderman, author of The Power Cut down on screen time and get your technology use in check The urge to pick up our phones every few minutes has become a nervous twitch that shatters our time into shards too small to be present. Our addiction to tech leaves us feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. But it doesn't have to be that way. In this timely book, professor Cal Newport shows us how to pair back digital distractions and live better with less technology. Introducing us to digital minimalists -- the calm, happy people who can hold long conversations without furtive glances at their phones or obsessively document everything they eat -- Newport reveals how to live more intentionally in our tech-saturated world. By following a thirty-day 'digital declutter' process, you'll learn to: · Rethink your relationship with social media · Prioritize 'high bandwidth' conversations over low quality text chains · Rediscover the pleasures of the offline world Take back control from your devices and become a digital minimalist.

Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World

Digital Minimalism

Mariana Rocha

Regular doses of solitude, mixed in with our default mode of sociality, are necessary to flourish as a human being.

JP Juinio

Because of technology, I’m a better human being than I ever was before

In my experience, the key to sustained success with this Philosophy is accepting that it's not really about technology, but is instead more about the quality of your life. The more you experiment with the ideas and practices on the preceding pages, the more you'll come to realize that digital minimalism is much more than a set of rules, it's about cultivating a life worth living in our current age of alluring devices.

You can’t, in other words, build a billion-dollar empire like Facebook if you’re wasting hours everyday using a service like Facebook

fvrests

...most people don't realize the extreme degree to which they perform similarly demanding feats of social navigation and mind reading throughout their normal everyday interactions. Our brains, in many ways, can be understood as sophisticated social computers.

A natural conclusion of this reality is that we should treat with great care any new technology that threatens to disrupt the ways in which we connect and communicate with others.

We might tell ourselves there's no greater reward after a hard day at the office than to have an evening entirely devoid of plans or commitments. But we then find ourselves, several hours of idle watching and screen tapping later, somehow more fatigued than when we began... if you instead rouse the motivation to spend that same time actually doing something - even if it's hard - you'll likely end the night feeling better.

We require a philosophy that puts our aspirations and values once again in charge of our daily experience, all the while dethroning primal whims and the business models of Silicon Valley from their current dominance of this role; a philosophy that accepts new technologies, but not if the price is the dehumanization Andrew Sullivan warned us about; a philosophy that prioritizes long-term meaning over short-term satisfaction. 

New York Times Bestseller 'Digital Minimalism is the Marie Kondo of mobile phones' Evening Standard 'An eloquent, powerful and enjoyably practical guide to cutting back on screen time' The Times 'An urgent call to action for anyone serious about being in command of their own life' Ryan Holiday, author of The Obstacle is the Way 'Cal's call for meaningful and engaged interactions is just what the world needs right now' Daniel Levitin, author of The Organised Mind How can we focus in a world full of digital distractions? How can we make more time for real-life interactions? The urge to pick up our phones every few minutes has become a nervous twitch that shatters our time into shards too small to be present. Our addiction to tech leaves us feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. But it doesn't have to be that way. In this timely book, professor Cal Newport shows us how to pair back digital distractions and live better with less technology. Introducing us to digital minimalists -- the calm, happy people who can hold long conversations without furtive glances at their phones or obsessively document everything they eat -- Newport reveals how to live more intentionally in our tech-saturated world. By following a thirty-day 'digital declutter' process, you'll learn to: · Rethink your relationship with social media · Prioritize 'high bandwidth' conversations over low quality text chains · Rediscover the pleasures of the offline world Take back control from your devices and become a digital minimalist.

On Living Better with Less Technology

Linus Rogge

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestseller "Newport is making a bid to be the Marie Kondo of technology: someone with an actual plan for helping you realize the digital pursuits that do, and don't, bring value to your life."--Ezra Klein, Vox Minimalism is the art of knowing how much is just enough. Digital minimalism applies this idea to our personal technology. It's the key to living a focused life in an increasingly noisy world. In this timely and enlightening book, the bestselling author of Deep Work introduces a philosophy for technology use that has already improved countless lives. Digital minimalists are all around us. They're the calm, happy people who can hold long conversations without furtive glances at their phones. They can get lost in a good book, a woodworking project, or a leisurely morning run. They can have fun with friends and family without the obsessive urge to document the experience. They stay informed about the news of the day, but don't feel overwhelmed by it. They don't experience "fear of missing out" because they already know which activities provide them meaning and satisfaction. Now, Newport gives us a name for this quiet movement, and makes a persuasive case for its urgency in our tech-saturated world. Common sense tips, like turning off notifications, or occasional rituals like observing a digital sabbath, don't go far enough in helping us take back control of our technological lives, and attempts to unplug completely are complicated by the demands of family, friends and work. What we need instead is a thoughtful method to decide what tools to use, for what purposes, and under what conditions. Drawing on a diverse array of real-life examples, from Amish farmers to harried parents to Silicon Valley programmers, Newport identifies the common practices of digital minimalists and the ideas that underpin them. He shows how digital minimalists are rethinking their relationship to social media, rediscovering the pleasures of the offline world, and reconnecting with their inner selves through regular periods of solitude. He then shares strategies for integrating these practices into your life, starting with a thirty-day "digital declutter" process that has already helped thousands feel less overwhelmed and more in control. Technology is intrinsically neither good nor bad. The key is using it to support your goals and values, rather than letting it use you. This book shows the way.

Izzy O

Claudine

James Bedford

Malcolm Reddoch

Solid arguments and practical tips for drastically scaling back amount of attention we cede to our smart devices and the social platforms that keep us coming back to them. First half is comprised of an argument for the need to scale back, a proposed philosophy of technology use (Digital Minimalism: a philosophy of tech use in which you focus your online time on a small number of carefully selected and optimized activities that strongly support things you value, and then happily miss out on everything else), and a suggested approach to right the ship, so to speak - the "Digital Declutter". Second half offers some practices that help cultivate a sustainable digital minimalism lifestyle, including spending time alone, avoiding the "like" feature of all platforms entirely, pursuing deliberate, meaningful, engaged leisure activities, and "joining the attention resistance" (basically taking wartime-like measures to fight for reclaiming our own attention).

I really enjoyed this, much like I've enjoyed Cal's blog for years. He strikes a helpful balance of philosophy and pragmatism, and while the book pulls no punches about the reality of our losing war against the tech companies that seek to control our attention, it recognizes the value of modern consumer tech, and seeks to help the reader utilize this tech in a way that enriches our lives, rather than draining them.

Why not 5 stars? As a blog reader, there was definitely some retread content; can't blame Cal, as it's really good content, and bundled more completely and effectively in a book than in scattered blog posts. However, I also could have done with a little less in the "here's how readers have found this helpful" section; didn't add much for me.

All in all, highly recommend, especially if you haven't spent years subscribed to Cal's blog!

Jason Lo

The ideas in the book are good, but even in its relatively shortness it feels longer than it needs to be.

JoAnna

In Digital Minimalism, Newport challenges our passive consumption of technology & social media, and provides a blueprint that asks us to reimagine our digital lives through intentional living. His arguments are strong & often backed with philosophy, history, & literature. Newport's writing is clear, but not concise; he frequently summarizes & re-summarizes previously made points, for which I knocked off a star.

Besser leben mit weniger Technologie

Digitaler Minimalismus

Many ideas and thesis from this book are very well-known by now, but still: very good to remind yourself about them. Great hands-on exercises, too, and a very easy read.

Christoph Rauscher

Jayme Cochrane

Perfect book to read during the year-end holidays contemplation period.

erin

In the end, Cal makes good points, explains them clearly, and provides examples. Take want you want and leave the rest, but there's a lot worth taking (e.g. no phone in the bedroom, no social apps on phone, use browser extensions to limit access to social media to certain times, cultivate "hands-on" hobbies that bring a sense of meaning and worth, focus on longer form and ideally in-person communication over likes and comments, etc).

Less great parts: the dude is a well-off white man and it shows. No compelling ideological orientation towards society to be found here, and too many throw-away examples that assume an audience who shares most/all of his privilege. He's got a few mentions of women here and there (largely that they've been fucked, historically) but it's in no way fundamental to his argument. If you've done any reading in the productivity realm you're used to this, but it's worth saying just in case.

Elizabeth Wood

There were many things in this book that were eye opening. I appreciated many aspects like the need for solitude and leisurely activities that promote learning and actual conversation. I do agree that mobile devices have created many problems while conversely solving many as well. It is essential to find a good balance between living our lives and using technology as a tool to enhance our lives. 

The thing that was a main turnoff for me was that most of his examples for how to engage in more conversation and set limits on technology were geared towards people who work 8 hours a day with few actual responsibilities outside of work. As a stay at home mom, I don’t have as much free time to go on a 2 hour walk with just my thoughts multiple times a week. But as a result of reading this, I will be making changes and have already seen some results from not using my phone as much needlessly.

“If you must use these services, however, and you hope to do so without ceding autonomy over your time and attention, it’s crucial to understand that this is not a casual decision. You’re instead waging a David and Goliath against institutions that are both impossibly rich and intent on using this wealth to stop you from winning.” 

Anca B

Very interesting and totally reflects my approach when it comes to social media as well. 

Sadly, in the context of the pandemic where some social media platforms are my only way to contact and spend quality time with people outside of my household, I cannot apply all these tips just yet. But either way, this was extremely informative and a book I plan to revisit.

Lara Ximenes

I urge everyone who engages with social media on a daily basis to read this book. Prior to reading this book, I was already keen on maximising my time online while keeping my screen time under control. Cal Newport enabled me to deepen my knowledge on what is it exactly that big companies do to keep us glued to our devices and thus motivated me to go further in my digital minimalism journey. 

Why is this book enlightening? It doesn’t focus on extreme minimalism and offers tips on how to reduce the digital noise and lead a much more fulfilling life.

Matt Stein

My review: https://mattstein.com/books/digital-minimalism

Cheri Fuller

Like a lot of people I know, I spend way too much time compulsively checking my twitter feed or my email or reddit or discord or any one of the several social book sites. I'm in twitter before I even get out of bed. And that's not setting myself up for a happy morning, to be sure.

I've been thinking about how I use various sites and my phone quite a bit. Particularly since I've been adding more analog entertainment (crafting and reading with my eyeballs) into my schedule. This book found me at the right time. 

There's a lot of dry info in here but if it's something that you're genuinely interested in, the time investment is well worth it. I've already cleared off my phone AND had an actual conversation with a friend - USING MY VOICE! I know, it's a little scary but it felt pretty good.

I won't be doing the 30 day purge or anything like that, but I will be taking some of the advice and practices with me.

Okan Davut

The effect of social media applications and internet use on our lives and the importance of being physically social are clearly mentioned in the book. In addition, things that can be done to get rid of this addiction are mentioned. It is very useful and creates awareness, but there were points that I found a bit exaggerated compared to our period. That's why I rated it 4 stars.

Probably one of the best books I've read recently.

Carlos Becker

Morgan Holland

A few good tips here and there, but felt pretty phoned-in

I have a hard time writing this because Cal’s first two books were real game changers for me, but I really feel like this was phoned in and not deeply thought out. Easily could’ve been been a blog post with a list of 10 tips for cutting down on digital distractions. Hoping the next one feels like more deep work went into it.

Darma Paramarta

This book makes me contemplate how well is the relationship between me and my digital devices, is it beneficial for me or do I use it mindlessly? 
I read this during the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine, and overall it's a really interesting and enjoyable book. This book feels like it force me to take a step back from my daily routine, and observe my past behavior with my phone and digital devices. A very practical philosophy for anyone who's seeking a way to get off from phone or digital addiction, or for anyone who haven't realize it yet. Although some of the steps are seems a bit radical, it could be understandable since it could be a drastic change in your life. Just reading it is not enough, implementing the philosophy in our daily life is the real game changer.

Angelica Echeverry

El libro nos recuerda cómo debemos limitar la tecnología, cómo nos afecta diariamente y evolutivamente. Cal nos da muchos tips, apps, ejemplos e ideas que pueden ayudarnos a reducir nuestro tiempo en las pantallas para invertirlo en cosas que realmente puedan llenarnos como seres humanos ✨.

Daniel

I like the idea of digital minimalism: applying "less, but better" to the world of smart phones, social media and digital services. While reading the book, I ended up removing several apps from my phone and reorganized my computer. Going forward, I will be more intentional about how and when I use digital services and to what end (in support of my values).

I felt the book could have been more concise. There were some stories and personal anecdotes that didn't contribute much to the actual thought of the book. There were some practical tips in the book and I would have liked more. I felt some of the tips were to specific to the author's lifestyle and therefore couldn't implement them myself.

"It's official: excessive "internetting," smartphoning, and social media make us miserable. But it doesn't have to be that way. Over the last decade, recognized journalist Blake Snow rigorously researched, tested, and developed several connectivity strategies for finding offline balance in an online world, which resulted in this, his first book. In Log Off: How to Stay Connected after Disconnecting, Snow passionately, succinctly, and sometimes humorously explains how to hit refresh for good, do more with less online, live large on low-caloric technology, increase facetime with actual people, outperform workaholics in half the time, and tunefully blend both analog and digital lives with no regrets. If the "offline balance movement" is real, this is its playbook." -- Back Cover

Sierra Nguyen

Digital Minimalism: "A philosophy of technology use in which you focus your online time on a small number of carefully selected and optimized activities that strongly support things you value, and then happily miss out on everything else" (p. 28).

This books helps me pause for a moment and reevaluate the amount of time I have spent on social media in the past few years. It's surprising how much time has passed when I'm busy browsing my social newsfeed when not making real connection with anyone, only to feel exhausted at the end. In this book, Cal Newport suggests practices you can do to reduce the amount of unproductive time you spend on social media, or your phone in general, and instead, focus on activities that bring you more satisfaction in life. He goes as far as suggesting you to quit social media for 30 days (crazy, right?) and during that time without the distracting online world, build connections with the people whom you care about, learn a new hobby, and create something in the physical world.
If you find yourself needing some motivation to regain the time technology has taken from you, I hope you give this book a try.

Andy Sporring

Some good points on Socialmedia distractions and digital stress

Julien Sobczak

The missing manual to dislike the like button.

Most digital applications, including social networks, are not good or bad, but they are for sure dangerous. They can be installed with just one click, and come without a manual, at least not the one you need to use these applications at your advantage.

The core of the problem is our attention. If it was an unlimited resource, there would be no problem to clutter our devices with so many applications. But it isn’t. We must get back the control of our attention, and reading this book is a good start.

This book is not about turning the clock back and living as if these technologies have never existed. This book is about using them while still being present in the physical world. 

I like the idea of measuring the value that digital tools bring to us compared to the time we invested in them. We must not seek value. All applications have value. We must try to extract only the core value we are looking for and ignore the rest. The question is not simply which application to use or not, but how. You can check Facebook on your desktop computer on Friday evening and still get the value you are looking for (note that Facebook will certainly not extract the same value from you as before). Each chapter ends with a list of similar practices to try.

Digital Minimalism is not the definitive book on the subject (I think we still ignore most of the answers) but is a great contribution that can change your life. The best motivation to reclaim your attention is to finally start new activities like playing board games with kids, and finally get the fulfilling life you deserve.

I really enjoyed the side stories to make certain points clear. Since I’m already using some of the methods, I really liked a more entertaining way to explain it. 

Patrick Ludewig

Great book. Explains the toxicity of social media and how to take control of your life, without abandoning it totally, but live with it in peace. 

Fatih Arslan

linda

I had trouble getting through this book even though it's quite short, but I definitely learned a lot and will be recommending to friends!

This year, I often averaged more than 8 or 9 hours on my phone on days off from work. I started Digital Minimalism to reduce the time I spend on social media. Initially, I thought Cal Newport would only offer strategies for a digital detox, which I could just start on my own. However, my biggest takeaway from this book was not how we can reduce screen time , but why we should. Learning about the ways technology is engineered to be addictive helped me gain a better understanding for why I was drawn to social media and become more mindful about my technology use.

Social media thrives on the attention economy, the business sector that profits from gathering consumers’ attention and selling it to advertisers. For users, notifications provide intermittent variable rewards, which produce more dopamine and are more enticing than those delivered with a known pattern. If we are not intentional about technology use, the overall negative cost, including the loss of authentic connection and increased loneliness, will outweigh the small benefits that each service provides. Newport has a very apt metaphor for this: the rewards reaped from social media are like the prize at the bottom of the cereal box, "something appealing to get you to tap the app, at which point they can proceed with their primary objective of extracting as many minutes of your time and attention as possible for their profit machine.”

Before reading this book, a fear that barred me from quitting social media was losing touch with friends. However, I learned that if I limit my social engagement to my most serious relationships, I will only lose touch with the people I don't need to be constantly in touch with: some people will inevitably fall out of my social orbit. Moreover, we rarely, if ever, spend time alone with our thoughts just thinking and doing nothing. How can we find what matters to us, what our thoughts are, what emotions we feel, how we feel about our friends, if we never have time to think?

To make the most of technology, we ought to think critically about what we want to get out of the service, and to use technology to help us cultivate leisure, not as the primary source of leisure. Newport's philosophy of Digital Minimalism tells us that it's best to lead a curated digital life (signing in only for specific, high-value purposes) and to be okay with missing out on everything else.

1. Why are we addicted to social media? Technology is not neutral; it is engineered to be used for long periods of time by exploiting vulnerabilities in human psychology (e.g. drive for social approval) for profit
2. Why practice digital minimalism? Carve out time for more meaningful connections (active relationships only with the people you value) and solitude (a prerequisite for original and creative thought)
3. How can we practice digital minimalism? Be intentional - use technology for cultivating leisure, not as the primary source of leisure; replace low-value digital habits with high-quality leisure activities; schedule leisure time; think critically about about what exactly you want to get out of each use

What are some strategies for consuming social media with greater mindfulness?
- reduce set of (Facebook) friends down to bare minimum and unfollow them
- delete social media apps from your phone (and check only on Fridays/Saturdays on your computer)
- set up a regular schedule for calling and texting friends - this will support your most serious relationships; you will only lose touch with the people you don't need
- go on gratitude walks to appreciate the good weather and the things that are making you happy :)
- keep your phone in Do Not Disturb mode by default, and check texts only on a regular schedule so that they are not a persistent source of ongoing chatter
- start a “conversation office hour” - set aside a certain time each day (maybe your commute time) for friends to call you -“I’d love to get up to speed on what’s going on in your life, call me at 5:30 pm sometime.”
- try to learn and apply one new skill every week, over a period of six weeks
- schedule in advance the time you spend on low-quality leisure
- create a seasonal leisure plan (3x/year: September, January, May) for objectives and habits that you intend to honor in the upcoming season (ex. reduce low-level leisure to 1 hr/day, read something in bed every night, attend a cultural event each week)

James Bedford &
Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport

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Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport