cmc/cleberg.net

  1#+date:        [2023-10-04 Wed 00:00:00]
  2#+title:       Digital Minimalism: Fewer Inputs, More Signal
  3#+description: How I reduce digital noise and stay focused.
  4#+slug:        digital-minimalism
  5#+filetags:    :linux:privacy:
  6
  7I've written [[/garden/][a note about minimalism]]
  8before, but I wanted to dedicate some time to reflect on digital
  9minimalism and how I've been able to minimize the impact of digital
 10devices in my life.
 11
 12#+begin_quote
 13These changes crept up on us and happened fast, before we had a chance
 14to step back and ask what we really wanted out of the rapid advances of
 15the past decade. We added new technologies to the periphery of our
 16experience for minor reasons, then woke one morning to discover that
 17they had colonized the core of our daily life. We didn't, in other
 18words, sign up for the digital world in which we're currently
 19entrenched; we seem to have stumbled backward into it.
 20
 21/(Digital Minimalism, 2019)/
 22#+end_quote
 23
 24* The Principles of Digital Minimalism
 25
 26As noted in Cal Newport's book, /Digital Minimalism/, there are three
 27main principles to digital minimalism that I tend to agree with:
 28
 291. Clutter is costly.
 30   - Digital minimalists recognize that cluttering their time and
 31     attention with too many devices, apps, and services creates an
 32     overall negative cost that can swamp the small benefits that each
 33     individual item provides in isolation.
 342. Optimization is important.
 35   - Digital minimalists believe that deciding a particular technology
 36     supports something they value is only the first step. To truly
 37     extract its full potential benefit, it's necessary to think
 38     carefully about how they'll use the technology.
 393. Intentionality is satisfying.
 40   - Digital minimalists derive significant satisfaction from their
 41     general commitment to being more intentional about how they engage
 42     with new technologies. This source of satisfaction is independent
 43     of the specific decisions they make and is one of the biggest
 44     reasons that minimalism tends to be immensely meaningful to its
 45     practitioners.
 46
 47* Taking Action
 48
 49In order to put the logic into practice, I've created a few new habits
 50and continued performing old habits that are working well:
 51
 52** Using Devices With Intention
 53
 54- I already rarely use "social media", mostly limited to forums such as
 55  Hacker News and Tildes, so I've just tweaked my behavior to stop
 56  looking for content in those places when I'm bored.
 57- Use devices with intention. Each time I pick up a digital device,
 58  there should be an intention to use the device to improve my current
 59  situation. No more endless scrolling or searching for something to
 60  interest me.
 61
 62** Prevent Distractions
 63
 64- Disable (most) notifications on all devices. I spent 15-30 minutes
 65  going through the notifications on my phone, watch, and computer to
 66  ensure that only a select few apps have the ability to interrupt me:
 67  Calendar, Messages, Phone, Reminders, & Signal.
 68- Disable badges for any apps except the ones mentioned in the bullet
 69  above.
 70- Set-up focus profiles across devices so that I can enable different
 71  modes, such as Personal when I only want to see notifications from
 72  people I care about or Do Not Disturb, where absolutely nothing can
 73  interrupt me.
 74- Clean up my home screens. This one was quite easy as I already
 75  maintain a minimalist set-up, but I went extreme by limiting my phone
 76  to just eight apps on the home screen and four in the dock. If I need
 77  another app, I'll have to search or use the app library.
 78- Remove the work profile from my phone. This was a tough decision as
 79  having my work profile on my device definitely makes my life easier at
 80  times, but it also has quite a negative effect when I'm "always
 81  online" and can see the notifications and team activity 24/7. I
 82  believe creating a distinct barrier between my work and personal
 83  devices will be beneficial in the end.
 84
 85** Creating Alternative Activities
 86
 87This is the most difficult piece, as most of my hobbies and interests
 88lie in the digital world. However, I'm making a concerted effort to put
 89devices down unless necessary and force myself to perform other
 90activities in the physical world instead.
 91
 92I've started with a few basics that are always readily available to me:
 93
 94- Do a chore, such as organizing or cleaning.
 95- Read a book, study a piece of art, etc.
 96- Exercise or get outdoors.
 97- Participate in a hobby, such as photography, birding, disc golf, etc.
 98- Let yourself be bored and wander into creativity.
 99
100* Making Progress
101
102I'll be taking notes as I continue down this journey and hope to see
103positive trends. I've always been a minimalist in the physical world and
104it feels refreshing to filter out the clutter that has come to dominate
105my digital life over the years.
106
107I'm excited to see where this journey leads.