Today, I'd love to chat with you about a relationship that can have a big impact on our work lives, but often gets overlooked – our relationship with social media.

I'm sure many of you are familiar with this feeling: the more you swipe your phone, the more anxious you feel. We've all been there! You're anxiously swiping videos while thinking about your important work studies. We've all been there. You put down your phone and think about all the things you haven't done yet. It's so easy to get caught in a cycle of guilt and self-blame. We all have a lot on our plates, and it's so hard to fit everything in.

As the internet becomes more and more a part of our daily lives, lots of people are starting to talk about the idea of quitting social media. I know you might be wondering who's going to be there to listen to this audio series and help you quit social media and uninstall apps.

Oh, absolutely! We've all heard it before: quit the phone, uninstall all kinds of apps, spend some time to read, think, spend time with the family. These words may have lost their impact a little, and even hearing them might produce more or less resistance. But we can still try to quit, can't we? How about answering those messages from your boss? And what about all those long hours we spend at work? And the time we have to sit on the subway and meditate? We all wonder what we should do and how we can live with ourselves.

But really, none of what you're saying is what we're doing with this withdrawal challenge in the first place, my friend. We totally respect your right to be a "just-in-time" person if this digital entertainment brings you a brief moment of joy. So, before we get into the Digital Minimalism book, I'd love it if you could ask yourself three quick questions: 1. Hey there! I just wanted to check in and see if you're a heavy cell phone user. 2. We're sure you're a great worker and a wonderful person, but we'd love to know if your cell phone dependence is affecting your normal work and life efficiency. And finally, question number three: We all get down sometimes, and social media can sometimes be a bit of a downer. So, we're wondering, is social media a source of most of your negative emotions? If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then I'm delighted to tell you that today's book, Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport, explains it all.

The lovely Cal Newport is the author of this book. He's a computer science PhD from MIT and previously wrote the well-known global bestseller, Deep Work. I'm so excited to tell you all about Cal Newport's new book, Digital Minimalism, which is coming out in 2024! In this book, Cal introduces us to the wonderful philosophy of technology use that has changed countless people – digital minimalism. The main idea that the book is trying to get across is that digital technology isn't inherently good or bad. It's all about finding a way to make it work for you and your values. Cal Newport also suggests that we shouldn't blame ourselves for getting hooked on digital devices. It's not just down to a lack of self-control. Companies in the attention economy have got clever and come up with strategies to keep us hooked. It's a huge chain of companies in the attention economy that are making huge profits for themselves, which is great for them! But it's also making users deviate more and more from the good life they were looking for, which is a shame. So, let's say goodbye to the guilt of being addicted to our cell phones. It's probably not your fault, sweetheart. This book is here to help us all digitally clean up and even become digital minimalists for real!

Cal Newport says that the goal of the book is twofold. First, he wants to show you why digital minimalism is a great idea and how it can work for you. Second, he'll teach you how to make it work in your life if you've already decided that digital minimalism is right for you.

Following this logic, he divides the book as a whole into two main sections. The first part is called 'Recognising It'. This is where he looks at the philosophical underpinnings of digital minimalism, the forces that are making digital life worse and worse, and explores why we need to digitally clean up. The second part is all about putting it into practice. It offers a practical approach to digital minimalism, designed to help us take concrete action in accordance with each of the chapter ideas in the first part. Let's follow this line of thought from the author and listen on, my friends.

1. Let's start with a really important question: why do we need digital minimalism?

To answer this question, it's important to first think about what you're relying on when you're relying on your phone.

We all need a little escape from the real world sometimes, and it's totally normal to get a bit carried away in the digital space we've created for ourselves. Maybe you're feeling the weight of a challenging work situation, going through a rough patch in your personal life, struggling to get that dissertation done, or facing some tough feedback from a teacher at school. We all need a little escape from the everyday, and social networks can be a great way to unwind. Sometimes, this escape is accompanied by a "desire to be recognised". It's only natural! We all want to be seen and appreciated, and social media gives us a way to do that. I've noticed a really lovely saying doing the rounds on the internet recently. "Life can be tough, but having a solid group of friends to lean on is a real blessing." It's not hard to find that no matter how many unpolished imperfections and challenges are presented in real life, it seems that what people present in their circle of friends is always food, travel, parties, and moments of success. This extreme contrast is exactly what the public craves, and it's a craving that stems from a place of wanting attention and recognition. As the lovely Cal Newport puts it, "Every time a user posts to social media, it's like gambling on a slot machine – will your post get likes or no buzz at all?" Of course, the former is bound to bring a burst of false pleasure, while the latter brings greater anxiety and self-doubt.

And in the pursuit of a lovely circle of friends, we have less and less time to make our real lives as lovely as they can be.

The author shares in the book that our addiction to electronic devices like cell phones can actually deprive us of what we all want to have: a real, living feeling.
Plato had a lovely way of explaining this in his famous chariot analogy in Phaedo. He said that our souls are like the man driving a chariot, trying to control two horses. These two horses represent two different parts of our nature. One is our good, kind side, and the other is our wild, impulsive side. If we let digital devices take over our lives, it'll be like giving the other horse in the chariot a boost. It'll be harder to steer the chariot and keep our souls safe.

So, it's only natural that we're in a battle against digital devices and human beings.

2. 30-Day Digital Cleanup Program

So, what can we do to help ourselves? When you realise that you can't go on like this, you may start to try some simple ways to make a few changes. These could be things like uninstalling the software that's making it hard for you to disconnect, turning off the social media apps, getting an anti-social phone, physically locking your phone, and asking your friends to spread the word that from today, you're going to be more present. Hey there! Just a friendly reminder not to send a circle of friends. 

But, sadly, many people will find that this kind of improvement has little effect. This brings us back to the industrial chain we mentioned at the beginning: attention economy. The thing is, once people are exposed to this model, they get hooked. So, what we really need is a complete set of scientific improvement programs that are more rigorous and complete than "mild improvement" or "rough withdrawal". These should be based on the author's proposed digital Minimalist norms.

The first step is really quite simple! It's just a case of saying goodbye to all those digital apps, just as you would clean out your closet for a new season. In the book, Karl mentioned a "30-day digital cleanup plan". Let's not worry about the time limit, let's take a look at your phone and computer and see how many apps you've got on there that you don't really need. Then, take a moment to ask yourself a few more specific questions. Think about which software is absolutely necessary for your daily life. Which software, when used, can really bring you a sense of satisfaction and value? Once you've identified those apps that are truly important to you, you can consolidate the rest in a separate folder and suspend them for a period of time. Does that sound a bit easier? If you're not quite ready to say goodbye forever, why not try 30 days? See how long you can go without your usual apps and then come back and see the difference it makes.

The second step of the 30-day digital cleanse is not just about deactivating for the sake of it. It's time to take a little break from your tech. While you're at it, why not try filling your free time with some fun, high-quality activities? You'll be amazed at how much more you can do without your phone or computer!

Back in 2017, the lovely folks behind this book kicked off a 30-day digital detox in their social circles. They ended up with over 1,600 volunteers and hundreds of reports! The great news is that the experiment showed that the digital cleanse is really effective! Not only that, but the people who did it said that they felt much more at ease and had a simpler, more efficient lifestyle. We'll chat about the joy this way of living brings later on, OK? The second thing to think about is that there might be a technical difficulty with this digital cleanse. Some people might treat the experiment as a purely addiction cessation tool. They might want to escape from their digital lives for a short time and then return to their normal lives. This often results in a rebound after a diet. It's also really important to find some lovely, meaningful alternatives to the withdrawal programme, otherwise the clean-up programme might not work so well.

So, whether you decide to take a moment to appreciate the beauty of nature, try something new like horseback riding or fishing, start reading a good book, or even if you find that you're sleeping better because you're spending less time scrolling through social media before bed, all of these are great first steps towards a healthier, happier you! It was so lovely to hear that some of the people taking part said that they had spent more time with their daughters as a result of this process! They drew pictures together, completed after-school crafts assigned by the school, and found that they had an even better relationship with their kids! We all know that the start of this "withdrawal" programme is going to be tough, so it's really important to find some lovely, quality alternative activities to do during the digital clean-up process.

Well done if you succeed in the 30 days! That means you're ready to move on to the third step: resetting your life. We all love the idea of a reset, don't we? We all want to feel in control of our lives, don't we? And at the end of the 30-day "withdrawal" period, you'll get the chance to bring technology back into your life. Next time you're thinking about introducing any technology into your life, why not ask yourself three simple questions? Just like you did at the start of your digital detox, when you were thinking about which apps to cut back on.

1. Does this technology help me to achieve the things I value?
2. And is this the best way I can support one of my values?
3. How can I make the most of this technology to get the best out of it?

It's only when you ask yourself these questions that you'll be able to bring that technology back into your life again.

3. Digital Minimalism

We just wanted to quickly mention that the "30-day digital cleanup program" is just one of the many ways to get started. The book is full of great advice on how to deal with digital technology in a more minimalist way. The book is a real treat! It tells the story of Thoreau, author of "Walden Lake", which is the most effective evidence of minimalism.

By the end of March 1845, Thoreau had borrowed an axe and headed to the woods near Walden Lake. There, he felled a few pine trees, cut out the flooring and mortise and tenon, and tried to assemble a simple cabin. He was totally at ease with it all. He'd bring his lunch to the lake every day to get on with his work, eat it and then read the newspaper, taking in his surroundings and sometimes gazing at the ripples on the lake, breathing in the lovely pine resin scent. He spent two whole years there, and wrote about it in Walden Lake. Since then, many of us have come across this lovely quote: "......" I really want to live a meaningful life and see if I can learn what life has to teach me, because I don't want to die without having really lived! Later on, in the lovely movie Dead Poet's Society, which came out in 1989, the group of passionate students in their secret poetry club borrowed this quote as their opening line.

Some people say this is a way of dealing with the sad fact that modern life can sometimes make us feel less than human. This is why digital minimalism can be defined in such a lovely, poetic way in terms of meaning. But there's something even more important to consider. Thoreau was also an economist, calculating the cost of living as he built his cabin. He only worked for a week to build it, so he had more time for meaningful things than his neighbours. His neighbours, on the other hand, had fancy carriages, large farm equipment, and were in debt up to their eyeballs. They were described by Thoreau as living "lives of silence and despair". I'm curious if you have a similar feeling of familiarity with the neighbours in this story. Thoreau's case also shows us something important: the more you have, the less you experience.

It's so easy to get caught up in the latest app or service, isn't it? We all do it! But we often forget about the cost. Our most important resource is time, and Carl Newport's digital minimalism teaches us that greed for more is costly.

So, the "resistance" to digital technology that we talked about before isn't about turning your back on it. It's more about how we use it. If we don't change our ways, we'll lose the battle. Instead, a long-term and planned philosophy of technology use based on our own fundamental values towards digital minimalism can bring more real meaning to our lives. As the opening line of Dead Poets Society says,

"Absolutely! Medicine, law, business, engineering – these noble pursuits are enough to sustain a human life. "But poetry, beauty, romance, love – that's what we live for, isn't it?"

4. Practicing Digital Minimalism

By now, we've taken a good look at the philosophical concepts, technical requirements, and key elements of digital minimalism. So, how can we make this wonderful philosophy part of our daily lives? And now, we're delighted to welcome you to the second part of our book, where we'll be sharing all the tips and tricks you need to know to enjoy a state of digital minimalism.

The first thing you need to do is make sure you get into the habit of spending some time on your own regularly.

The solitude we're talking about here isn't about being alone with no one around. It's more about having a space where you can be free from other people's thoughts and not contact them through any electronic device. Don't worry, being alone doesn't mean you have to lock yourself up at home! Why not try going for a walk around your house without your cell phone (or turning it off and putting it in your backpack)? Or you could go to a park and sit alone for a while. There's even a thing called the "20-minute park effect," which has been "breaking the circle" on social media for some time now! I'd like to tell you about the wonderful "20-minute park effect"! This lovely effect came from a study in the International Journal of Environmental Health Research. It showed that spending just a little time alone in nature every day can make people feel happier. Even a 20-minute visit to a park or other place where you can feel nature can significantly reduce stress!

It's not just the Internet that makes us want to follow the crowd, and there's nothing wrong with that! It's so lovely to see more and more "working people" taking advantage of the "20-minute park effect"! They're enjoying their lunch breaks by sitting on park benches near their workplaces, taking in the beauty of nature. Sometimes they're admiring the flowers and plants, and sometimes they're closing their eyes and resting their minds. It's so wonderful to see people embracing this simple yet powerful practice! It's so lovely to see these everyday sights giving workers a chance to relax and enjoy some well-deserved leisure time. We all have those busy mornings in the office, don't we? You close your computer at 12:00 noon, and you head off to the park to escape from the party and the customer. And it's so important to have that solitude, isn't it? It gives you a sense of escape from the seriousness of life and relaxation. Maybe, just maybe, it's in these 20 minutes away from cell phones and office communication software that people can truly rediscover a sense of themselves again.

And there's another lovely way to spend some time alone with yourself, as the book suggests: writing letters to yourself. The author also says that these letters aren't just like diary entries. They're more like notes to yourself! You don't have to stick to a set schedule or length. These notes are a great way to talk to yourself when you're facing a tough decision, feeling angry, or getting a burst of inspiration. It's amazing how when you put those scattered, fleeting emotions into words on paper, both your thoughts and emotions become so much clearer! And when you look back on these fleeting thoughts on paper years later, it's like having a conversation with your past self, across time and space.

And the best part is, you'll find you don't need your cell phone or social media as much as you thought you did! This method is really straightforward and simple, but it's also super effective!

And number two is that you don't have to like it.
Have you ever heard of a social relationship called "Likes"?
I'm not sure when it started, but it can also create an emotional anxiety when you don't like your own social feeds. This anxiety usually comes and goes with the phenomenon we mentioned earlier of a "refined circle of friends," where the number of likes is the variable.

Of course, the "don't like" mentioned by Cal Newport here is not about being ungrateful for the recognition and praise of others. In fact, the article gives a great example: on social media, when you see that a friend has just shared a photo of their newborn child, if you don't like the comment, your friend might think that you're indifferent and insensitive, which is definitely not the case! If you dwell on this point too much, your thoughts will start to spiral. If you think your friendship with this friend is important, why not spend that time worrying unnecessarily and visit the lovely mum who just gave birth to her baby in person? After all, face-to-face is always the best way to connect emotionally. Taking a moment to step back and make a phone call is a lovely way to show your friend you care. It's always better than just liking a comment! If you feel like your friend isn't worth the time to visit or even call, there's no need to worry about whether or not they'll hold a grudge for liking the comment. So, let's keep going with this idea together. If you're not liking or interacting on social media, some people might drift away from your social circle. The author also gives a reassuring message: it's okay to move on from those people!

As we all know, social media has given us a whole new way to connect with people from all over the world. But at the end of the day, a rich and fulfilling social life isn't built by sending a few messages to someone on the other side of the globe. On the contrary, after this "social shuffle" of "no likes", you'll be happy to find that there'll be no loss in every aspect of your life.

So here's a little rule for all of us: let's not use social media as a tool to help us maintain low-quality relationships. It will make our lives so much better!
So, to wrap up, these are just a few of the realistic guidelines that the author offers us in his book.

There are also lots of other really helpful tips in the book. They're all about making the most of digital minimalism in your everyday life. For example, you can block out all the unnecessary information and try to get your news from "slow media" like official books or newspapers. It's easy to get caught up in the fast-paced world of social media. We're drawn in by the vast amount of information and the idea that it's all free. But, in reality, these platforms are competing for our attention and trying to make a profit. This is what Karl Newport calls the attention economy. This is what Karl Newport meant when he talked about the attention economy. It's so important to remember that attention is something we all have to be careful with. It's our precious capital! So, why not try cancelling some of those non-essential newsfeed notifications and subscriptions? When you're looking for information, it's a great idea to choose "slow media" with higher quality content and a more thoughtful format. It's also a good idea to carefully filter your channels so you can make sure you're getting the best content. I'm sure you'll agree that it's well worth immersing yourself in one great article, rather than just skimming through lots of messages.

I won't go into all the more practical aspects of digital minimalism here, but you're more than welcome to take action now and choose high-quality "slow media" – read about it in the book!

And finally, we'd like to say a big, warm thank you to you all! In times like these, we all have to admit that the Internet has a lot of positive power. But we also need to understand that the relationship between culture and tools is complex, with lots of pros and cons. They're like smartphones, wireless networks and digital platforms that connect billions of people – undeniably successful innovations! It's totally normal to feel a bit anxious about it all. But we can't afford to be left behind by the latest trends, which is why this book is here to help! Each chapter of the second part provides a practical approach to building a minimalist lifestyle that's right for you.

Do you remember this famous quote from Thoreau in the aforementioned Walden Lake?

"Most men live quiet lives of despair."

But there's another, more optimistic take on this quote that we don't hear nearly as much:
"They believe they have no choice. But those of us who are sober and healthy remember that the sun is always new. It is never too late to abandon our prejudices."

Just as humanity's relationship with the technologies of this "hyper-connected" world has brought us "a life of quiet desperation". But the sun is always shining, and through digital minimalism, we have the power to change that.