Review: Digital Minimalism

 Digital Minimalism was on sale for $2, so I picked it up since even when Cal Newport is being pedantic and paternalistic, he still occasionally has a few good ideas I can use and find interesting.

This book is about detaching yourself from addictive social media use and behaviors. I'm sure by now you're familiar with the claims:

Young people born between 1995 and 2012, a group Twenge calls “iGen,” exhibited remarkable differences as compared to the Millennials that preceded them. One of the biggest and most troubling changes was iGen’s psychological health. “Rates of teen depression and suicide have skyrocketed,” Twenge writes, with much of this seemingly due to a massive increase in anxiety disorders. “It’s not an exaggeration to describe iGen as being on the brink of the worst mental-health crisis in decades.” What instigated these changes? Twenge agrees with the intuition of the university mental health administrator when she notes that these shifts in mental health correspond “exactly” to the moment when American smartphone ownership became ubiquitous. The defining trait of iGen, she explains, is that they grew up with iPhones and social media, and don’t remember a time before constant access to the internet. They’re paying a price for this distinction with their mental health. “Much of this deterioration can be traced to their phones,” Twenge concludes. (kindle loc 1297)

To some extent I've always been skeptical of these claims. For instance, I'll give Bowen a hard time about being addicted to video games. But when we started on the 4 day Kepler Track hike and I told both him and his brother that (1) no internet (2) no possibility of recharge, without reminding or angst they put their phones on airplane mode and didn't use the phones for anything other than photos or to look up maps, etc. They returned back to the car with their phones well above 60%! By contrast, I remember various adults returning from camping trips with social media posts to the tune of "I never want to be without internet again." To my mind, kids are far more adaptable and less addicted to digital devices than their parents are.

Nevertheless, if you find yourself in the midst of anxiety or poor mental state because of your addiction to social media or doomscrolling, Newport suggests the following procedure:

1.  Do without all your social media apps. Delete them. That doesn't mean you have to close your accounts. Just set it up so that you have to use the web-browser. That added bit of inconvenience mean you'll find yourself using it less.
2. Put your phone on do not disturb mode. Tell people to call you if they need you urgently.
3. Change your habits so you do your social media work mindfully (e.g., scheduling time to actively do it so it doesn't become your default behavior)
4. Adopt active leisure habits. Pick a hobby. Do more bike riding (this is not in the book --- Newport touts CrossFit and advocates for long walks) Join a club. Read more books. Meet people face to face. These activities are so engaging you'll wonder why you ever thought social media was a good substitute for real life.
5. Set up office hours. Advertise them. Tell your friends and family that they should feel free to call you during those times. When people text you, reply to them and tell them that you'd love to do a phone call at that specific time.

These hacks are worth considering, though again, I somehow think that the big ballyhoo over digital addiction is just not as big a deal as the press loves to make it. Even Newport admits that the symptoms of digital withdrawal are nowhere close to being as severe that of alcohol, nicotine, or even caffeine. My suspicion is that kids that exhibit addiction probably are living in a condition of stress or lack of control over their lives. It's much more an indictment of American society than that of technology and the social media apps they enable. I myself have bounced off twitter, bluesky, and instagram, only being forced to use them by various schools and other organizations rather than voluntarily spend time on such mediums.