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A review by thenovelbook
Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport
5.0
Kind of mind-blowing.
This book is part philosophy, part how-to, and it is a strong wake-up call for the way we use technology. I mean, most of us would vaguely say, "Yeah, I think I spend too much time on my phone." But this book helps to clarify why we spend too much time on our phones. It lifts the veil on an astoundingly obvious truth that had never crossed my mind: We tell ourselves that we use "tools" like social media for the potential benefits that they offer-- but we should first define what those benefits are and then extract them. And we don't. And since they are designed to be irresistible, therefore the amount of time we invest in such tools leads to a diminishingly small return of benefit.
It was a pretty inspiring read, leaving me only with the question, "Can I do the stuff in the book? Actually?" It's a tricky proposition when your job requires a certain amount of social media interaction. But if there's anything I've realized from this read, it's that you can navigate the balance as long as you do it deliberately, and be ruthless with the things that you need to be.
I like that this author is not anti-technology, and he is not even anti-social media. He recognizes the value that's possible in both. But he lays bare the fact that to GET that value, you're going to have to plunge into a sort of David vs. Goliath fight to use technology only in the ways that make your life a lot better, which goes against the way they are often designed.
I'm making some of these changes right away.
This book is part philosophy, part how-to, and it is a strong wake-up call for the way we use technology. I mean, most of us would vaguely say, "Yeah, I think I spend too much time on my phone." But this book helps to clarify why we spend too much time on our phones. It lifts the veil on an astoundingly obvious truth that had never crossed my mind: We tell ourselves that we use "tools" like social media for the potential benefits that they offer-- but we should first define what those benefits are and then extract them. And we don't. And since they are designed to be irresistible, therefore the amount of time we invest in such tools leads to a diminishingly small return of benefit.
It was a pretty inspiring read, leaving me only with the question, "Can I do the stuff in the book? Actually?" It's a tricky proposition when your job requires a certain amount of social media interaction. But if there's anything I've realized from this read, it's that you can navigate the balance as long as you do it deliberately, and be ruthless with the things that you need to be.
I like that this author is not anti-technology, and he is not even anti-social media. He recognizes the value that's possible in both. But he lays bare the fact that to GET that value, you're going to have to plunge into a sort of David vs. Goliath fight to use technology only in the ways that make your life a lot better, which goes against the way they are often designed.
I'm making some of these changes right away.