One such method of attention manipulation was with the introduction of Facebook’s ‘thumb’s up’ button, exploiting our deep desire for tribal acceptance and social approval.

This came later, with the work of social media engineers. Indeed, the first iPhone and Facebook version were never designed to be addictive. AddictionĬurrent symptoms many of us experience while not engaged with our phone is one of disquiet, a nagging sensation that we need to check notifications, emails and texts. Newport performed his own min-study which formed the basis of the book, in which 1,600 volunteers followed a month-long tech sabattical, providing valuable insights digital minimalism. Soon it was defacto for social media, allowing companies to keep us hooked with endless notifications while gathering user preference data.įinally people are becoming aware of the pernicious effects of online technology and beginning to push back. When the innocuous ‘like’ button emerged on FriendFeed in 2007 it was a portentous moment.

So if you’re glued to your phone day and night, the Digital Minimalism summary is for you. In his book, Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University (and successful blogger), Cal Newport, argues that we need a digital detox to restore emotional health and wellbeing. It'll help you implement a thirty-day 'digital declutter' process, making sure you're in control of your tech and not the other way around.Is your online media consumption causing anxiety and overwhelm?

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.ĭigital Minimalism will teach you how to rethink your relationship to social media and rediscover the pleasures of the offline world. Now, Newport gives us a name for this quiet movement and makes a case for its urgency in our tech-saturated world. They can have fun with friends and family and eat out at restaurants without the obsessive urge to document the experience. They're the calm, happy people who can hold long conversations without furtive glances at their phones.

In this timely and enlightening book, Cal Newport introduces a philosophy for technology use that has already improved countless lives.ĭigital minimalists are all around us. Read Digital Minimalism and you'll never again mindlessly sacrifice your productivity to clickbait or lose 40 minutes of your evening to your Instagram feed.

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