Digital Minimalism

On Living Better with Less Technology

Paperback, 286 pages

English language

Published Feb. 7, 2019 by Penguin Books, Limited.

ISBN:
978-0-241-34113-1
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4 stars (5 reviews)

The key to living well in a high tech world is to spend much less time using technology.

In recent years, our culture's relationship with personal technology has transformed from something exciting into something darker. Innovations like smartphones and social media are useful, but many of us are increasingly troubled by how much control these tools seem to exert over our daily experiences – including how we spend our free time and how we feel about ourselves.

In Digital Minimalism, Newport proposes a bold solution: a minimalist approach to technology use in which you radically reduce the time you spend online, focusing on a small set of carefully-selected activities while happily ignoring the rest.

4 editions

Thoughtful advice for the hyperonline

4 stars

Like a lot of these sort of books, Newport uses a lot of interesting anecdotes and historical stories to pad out his overall message which is that while the internet can be useful, you can have too much of a good thing and it can't replace human contact and social media can't replace voice conversations. I feel this is true. Some of his advice like planning your leisure time (actually writing out a plan) sounds too much like work to me. Maybe that would help some people. His main idea though, is to go on a sort of "digital detox" for a month and then reintroduce social media and other "internet entertainment" in a more conscious way, so you're not picking up your phone whenever you feel bored. I have found this has helped me a lot.

I listened to this as an audiobook while I was driving around delivering …

Review of 'Digital Minimalism' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport is a great read that offers a fresh perspective on our relationship with technology. The author argues that our excessive use of technology is leading to a lack of focus and satisfaction in our daily lives. He proposes a minimalist approach to using digital tools, which involves choosing a small number of valuable ones and avoiding the distractions of time-wasting apps and activities. The book is well-written, insightful, and offers practical tips for a more balanced digital life. If you're feeling overwhelmed by technology, this book is definitely worth a read!

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Subjects

  • Information technology
  • Internet addiction
  • Technological innovations
  • Internet, social aspects
  • Technology, social aspects