Beginning June 1st I’m doing a 30-day “digital declutter” and stepping back from most of the optional technology in my life. The idea comes from Cal Newport’s book Digital Minimalism in which he encourages his readers to be actively critical of the way we engage with digital technology.
I’m annoyed at the impulsive way I reach for my phone to distract myself from a present moment or to search immediately for the answers to passing questions. I LOVE the feeling of being tuned in an connected to my friends, family, and peers. Or to the zeitgeist of politics, fashion, and art. Social media stokes that sense of abundance and connectivity for me. Before I had a smart phone, I felt that electric connected feeling through things like writing letters, reading books, drawing and making things.
My hope is that this declutter will give me the time and space to rediscover those activities and, more importantly, to gain the necessary distance to be discerning about what technology I make part of my daily life. I’m embarrassed to admit that alreadyI’m making caveats for myself. Conditional terms like, “What if I only use Instagram on Sundays and only for studio posts?” Those may be reasonable terms, but according to the parameters of the “detox” Newport outlines, those terms will be well informed by the break.
Onward and upward. See you in 30 days. Or sooner if I cave.
