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. 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. In 7,000 words, the author described how the constant onslaught of news, images and online babble finally “broke” him. I really appreciate that.īelow are some of the quotes that I wanted to remember.In 2016, New York magazine ran an article by the popular writer Andrew Sullivan. But then he also tells you to use the principles behind what he’s saying, but do what works for you. He gives practical advice on how to choose and use the tools that will provide benefit to you. He lays out the evidence for why the intermittent positive reinforcement and drive for social approval that are built into social media is detrimental to our mental health and relationships. But I also somehow feel lighter and freer, having come to those conclusions.Ĭal isn’t dogmatic in his approach in this book. It’s making me rethink every single online service I use, and I realize that I’m going to give up a lot of it.

Cal uses their stories to share what worked for them, what didn’t work, and ways to address some of the most common pitfalls of trying to become a digital minimalist.

He also draws heavily from the experience of about 1,600 people who undertook a 30-day “technology declutter” during the research phase for the book. Cal brings in lots of psychology, and provides practical (and pragmatic) recommendations for cultivating a better relationship with technology. I was a little worried it would just be a re-hashing of his previous book Deep Work, through a slightly different lens, but it’s not that at all. I read Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport over the weekend, and it exceeded my expectations. Book review: Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport February 11, 2019.Rian van der Merwe - 📖 Book review: Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport ← Home Subscribe

Digital minimalism review