Digital Minimalism

Written By Colēgia

How we use our technology represents the different values that we have with the tools we use. Some of us might prefer to feel prepared for every situation whereas others may be content with a more minimalistic approach. Both of these are valid but today we want to see why less is more and why it can provide its own sense of value.

The Philosophy Of Digital Minimalism

Technology is part of our lives in a multitude of ways. Thanks to technology, things such as cooking, transportation, organization, and even how we do research have gotten easier over the years. Minimalism is the art of mindfully keeping things in your life that provide value and meaning without having an excess of them. The idea that we can accomplish more with less is an example of the philosophy of minimalism since it trains us to be more resourceful. It also helps us be more aware of the distractions that go along with all the different options we have available. Digital minimalism focuses on the benefits we get when we condense all the extra features technology provides into a few that give us the highest overall gain of fulfillment.

“Thanks to technology, things such as cooking, transportation, organization, and even how we do research have gotten easier over the years.”

Intentional Usage

Let's think about one of the most useful pieces of technology we have, our phones. Many moons ago a phone was almost exclusively used for its primary purpose, calling others. This later evolved into texting others which gave us an additional form of communication. Eventually, phones became capable of being calculators, flashlights, GPS, notepads, journals, and even connecting to the internet. While all of these things are indeed useful, there is an extent to how much we really gain from certain functions. Social media is a great example of this since it often comes at the cost of our time since we're not using it to do things in the present. Apps are helpful assuming they fit into the lifestyle we want to live and too many of them can often make our devices feel padded with things we don't use. Intentionally spending time with our devices rather than just using them as a means of passing time is one mindset shift that's worth doing when it comes to digital minimalism.

“Social media is a great example of this since it often comes at the cost of our time since we're not using it to do things in the present.”

Finding The Right Balance

The thing with digital minimalism is that it's about finding the right harmony with our devices so that they complement our routine. If we can't function without our phones, it's a sign that we're being dependent on them for our emotional well-being. Setting limits on how long we're using our tech in a specific way can help us be more aware of the time we spend. If we're using our devices as a means of planning things to help us outside of the internet, that's one way to help us use them for our overall happiness. The conveniences technology brings with it make it worth using, but like any tool it has to be used responsibly.

Colēgia

Colēgia

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