Asurvey asked 1,180 millennials ages 18 to 34 what they would be willing to give up for their smartphones. An astonishing 41% said they would rather give up shampooing for a week than forego their phone for the same amount of time. It was more important for these people to stay digitally connected than to have clean hair. (Source)
This is a sign that digital natives—the generation that has lived with the internet and technology and for all or most of their teen and adult life—sees their mobile devices as necessity rather than luxury. They simply cannot live without their phone. Digital immigrants—those who have adapted to technology as it’s become available—still remember what life was like before screens were such a constant fixture, and are more willing to unplug. Despite that, living in the current digital era means even with a strong desire to reduce the amount of time spent in front of a screen, it’s easier said than done.
The need for Digital Minimalism only exists because of Digital Addiction. The World Health Organisation now includes Gaming Disorder in the International Classification of Diseases, and Internet Addiction Disorder—while not officially recognized as a disorder—is incredibly pervasive in American and European cultures affecting up to 8.2% of the general population. As a society, we are addicted to technology. And it can be a hard addiction to break given that there’s really no escaping it.
For a large percentage of people, the nature of their employment means spending a vast amount of time of a computer. Plus, when not working, the average person spends almost 3 hours per day on their phone, or online for their own entertainment. In fact, according to comScore, 1 out of every 2 minutes spent online is on activities such as watching videos, entertainment/music, and playing games.
This is not a life that can be sustained.
It’s time to minimize the amount of time spent interacting with digital media. It’s time to live a real life, not a life behind a screen. It’s time to eliminate those areas of life that are not adding value to your life. Digital minimalism is about being present in the here and the now, and using technology only with intent, rather than as an idle distraction. It’s about recognizing what digital tools are needed to increase efficiency and add value to your life, and what you can do without.
It may not always be possible to completely detox from screen time while at work. However, there are certain ways to streamline your use of technology in order to build a healthier relationship with technology, and the benefits are well worth it:
First things first, you should remove anything digital from your life that is not adding value. There are three big contributors to digital distraction—email, internet and social media. A decade ago, each of these played a much smaller role than they do now, largely because they were not available in the palm of our hands as they are now.
The average professional spends 28% of the work day reading and answering email, which equates to 2.6 hours and 120 messages received per day. There are two extremes of people when it comes to dealing with this onslaught of daily emails; at one end, there are those who almost compulsively clear emails as soon as they enter their inbox, no matter what they are working on at the time. At the other end are those who are almost resigned to the fact that they will never clear their inbox, and almost ignore their emails throughout the day. Digital minimalists find a more moderate approach: simply, checking their email less often.
Ofcom in the UK conducted a study and found that people are on average online for 24 hours a week, twice as long as 10 years ago, with one in five of all adults spending as much as 40 hours a week on the web. A 2019 report by HootSuite and We Are Social revealed that the average internet user spends more than a quarter of their life online.
It’s safe to say, humans are addicted to the internet.
Keep in mind that the internet is incredibly useful, and vital to many workplaces. In fact, many workplaces grind to a halt when the internet is down. While most people cannot live their current lifestyle without the internet, the need to actually live without it is critical.
Here’s how to achieve digital minimalism on the internet:
We are all guilty of it. In line at the grocery store we pull out our phones and scroll through Facebook for a few minutes to ease the boredom. Bus rides are made more bearable with Instagram. Snapchat keeps us entertained throughout the day. But where has real life interaction gone?In the current digital age, most of us are slowly becoming social media addicts. Just like other digital platforms mentioned, your life could significantly improve with social media minimization, and these tips can help you achieve it:
Who can honestly say that they haven’t reached for their phone when bored to mindlessly scroll through apps or social media? Or checked their phone even though they did not hear a notification? If you find yourself checking your phone first thing in the morning, you aren’t alone. According to a 2016 Deloitte survey, 18% of consumers worldwide check their phones immediately upon waking up, 43% of people within five minutes and 62% within 15 minutes. Unfortunately, however, by checking your phone first thing, you are starting the day in a reactive mode. The content of your phone can dictate how your day is going to start before you even get out of bed.
Our phones are with us almost 24/7—22 hours a day to be precise for 79% of adult smartphone users, according to a report from IDC Research— and this “always on” state is not healthy. These tips can help you remove your dependency on your phone:
Digital minimalism is a process, not an action. It’s a state of mind rather something you do once. Be patient. It might not come naturally, and you will probably subconsciously still reach for your device, open the internet or check your emails, but with time and practice it’ll be something you do less and less. Ultimately, digital minimalism will help you slow down and focus on what truly matters—building more meaningful relationships with people in your life, maximizing your potential, and being more present in the life you are leading here and now.