Digital Minimalism
Subject By Cal Newport
– The average person spends a minimum of two hours a day on social media, looking
at their phone a minimum of 85 times.
– Declutter your life by taking a 30-day break from media.
– Silence and solitude. It would do you good to be unplugged from the noisy world of
media.
– Everyone needs a time of solitude.
– Solitude is not just a physical separation, it is being alone with your thoughts.
– We live with solitude deprivation – a moment of being alone with our own thoughts.
– Earbuds have become a backdrop throughout the entire day, a way to ignore the
world.
– It is not a coincidence that since the time of smart phones, anxiety has become
much more prevalent.
– When solitude is absent from one’s life, mental health is far worse.
– Solitude is an important ingredient in human life. Humans are not wired to be
constantly wired.
– Practice by leaving your smart phone at home. The phone is not as important as you
might think.
– Practice by taking a walk. It is not so much about exercise, but a time to have
solitude. Take the walks alone, but preferably without your smart phone.
– Practice journaling. Write down ideas, reflections or a letter to yourself. This frees
you from outside input and leaves you with your thoughts.
– Although it may seem paradox, much social media makes many lonely and less
happy.
– The more social media someone uses, the more isolated that person feels.
– Our minds trick us by thinking it is just as important to communicate digitally with
someone, but nothing takes the place of talking or being present with them.
– We don’t have to be anti-technology, but we should be pro-conversation.
– Real conversations take time, and you will not be able to do as much as those you
follow online.
– Our sociality is simply too complex to be outsourced to a social network.
– Prioritize leisure activity (sport or hobby) over digital consumption.
– The first step in stopping or better maintaining social media is to remove the social
media apps from your phone.