Intermittent positive reinforcement revolves around receiving rewards at an inconsistent rate (think of a slot machine) rather than receiving them as a guaranteed result of certain actions (if I do my homework, I will get an A).It plays a big role in developing a habit, as rewards delivered unpredictably are more enticing to us than those delivered based on a known pattern.

Intermittent positive reinforcement

Habits also apply to the digital realm. And in this realm, Cal believes in the following philosophy of use:Each digital tool must have a certain purpose to allow yourself to use it, and under certain constraints.This habit of heavy filtering of digital services arose from the belief that clutter is costly, and that optimization is important.

Digital Minimalism

Before giving up using addictive technology, set up meaningful and rewarding leisure activities to fill your schedule.There are great benefits to choosing action over more traditional leisure activities, the so-called ”strenuous leisure”, or, as Theodore Roosevelt endorsed:“I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life.”<ul><li>Use skill to produce valuable things;</li><li>Prioritize demanding activities over passive consumption;</li><li>Seek activities that require real-world, structured social interactions.</li></ul>

Reclaim Leisure

We’re living in an “attention economy”: gathering consumers’ attention and then repackaging and selling it to advertisers.To remove yourself from this trade, remove social media apps from your phone, or limit your interaction with them.

Join the Attention Resistance

Us humans are wired to be social.However, studies show that the more connected we are on social media, the more we are likely to feel lonely, because they take away from real socializing.There needs to be connection, rather than just conversation. One tip to improve face-to-face communication is to share that you are going to be in the office, or at a coffee shop, at a certain date and time, and let everyone know that they can tag along.

Don’t Click “Like”

Seemingly small environmental factors can lead to big behavioral changes. And behavioral addictions - repeated, regular behaviors - are akin to substance addictions. We follow them subordinately and without much thought.In order to prevent bad habits, we must fight our inner selves, or, as Plato’s chariot metaphor would say:Our soul is a chariot reining two horses, our better nature and our baser impulses. We must strive to empower the former while subduing the latter.

A Lopsided Arms Race

...is satisfying, and using only those services which feel like they provide real value is much more satisfying - and rewarding - than scrolling mindlessly through countless apps.There is a law of diminishing returns in tech, too - a few services are important, even essential, but many more and you start to get lost in the noise and you can find yourself unable to focus on and prioritize what’s important. Not all things are worth your time, and they all have a cost - immediate, or in the long run, as Thoreau’s “new economics” pointed out.

Intentionality...

...represents a suggested cognitive limit to the number of people with which we can interact meaningfully and regularly (i.e. maintain social relationships). This number can only be so high (between 100 and 250), so having thousands of online “friends” is misleading to our impression of social connection.Strive to keep fewer, but more meaningful connections, and strive to consume less in this multimedia world, and enjoy what you do consume more.In the end, it’s not about the technology, it’s about the quality of your life.

The Dunbar’s Number...

As Blaise Pascal put it bluntly: “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”Give your brain regular doses of quiet; alternate between solitude and connection, we as human beings need both to thrive. It is best to stay away from technology from time to time - take regular walks, alone, without distractions.Nietzsche’s favorite activity was taking strolls:“Only thoughts reached by walking have value.”One other way to enjoy solitude and to discover your thoughts is to write letters to yourself, or keep a diary.

Spend Time Alone

There are many tips that can help you live a more fulfilling and less dependent on the digital. You can:<ul><li>Join various communities;</li><li>Schedule to build or fix something every week or month;</li><li>Set up a calendar for seasonal leisure plans, objectives, and habits.</li></ul>

Living A More Fulfilling Life

There are three steps towards digital decluttering:1. Define your technology rules2. Take a thirty-day break from everything digital3. Reintroduce digital products, one by oneOnly after this cleansing and period of introspection will you truly figure out what parts of technology you deeply value and which are irrelevant to your life. After cherry-picking those select few services which will truly help you achieve your long-term goals, you also have to ponder on how you’re going to use it going forward to minimize its harms and maximize its values.

The Digital Declutter

Handpicked sources to help you cut back on screen time, increase productivity and improve mental health

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Time Management

Digital Wellbeing

"It's official: excessive "internetting," smartphoning, and social media make us miserable. But it doesn't have to be that way. Over the last decade, recognized journalist Blake Snow rigorously researched, tested, and developed several connectivity strategies for finding offline balance in an online world, which resulted in this, his first book. In Log Off: How to Stay Connected after Disconnecting, Snow passionately, succinctly, and sometimes humorously explains how to hit refresh for good, do more with less online, live large on low-caloric technology, increase facetime with actual people, outperform workaholics in half the time, and tunefully blend both analog and digital lives with no regrets. If the "offline balance movement" is real, this is its playbook." -- Back Cover

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Books

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestseller "Newport is making a bid to be the Marie Kondo of technology: someone with an actual plan for helping you realize the digital pursuits that do, and don't, bring value to your life."--Ezra Klein, Vox Minimalism is the art of knowing how much is just enough. Digital minimalism applies this idea to our personal technology. It's the key to living a focused life in an increasingly noisy world. In this timely and enlightening book, the bestselling author of Deep Work introduces a philosophy for technology use that has already improved countless lives. Digital minimalists are all around us. They're the calm, happy people who can hold long conversations without furtive glances at their phones. They can get lost in a good book, a woodworking project, or a leisurely morning run. They can have fun with friends and family without the obsessive urge to document the experience. They stay informed about the news of the day, but don't feel overwhelmed by it. They don't experience "fear of missing out" because they already know which activities provide them meaning and satisfaction. Now, Newport gives us a name for this quiet movement, and makes a persuasive case for its urgency in our tech-saturated world. Common sense tips, like turning off notifications, or occasional rituals like observing a digital sabbath, don't go far enough in helping us take back control of our technological lives, and attempts to unplug completely are complicated by the demands of family, friends and work. What we need instead is a thoughtful method to decide what tools to use, for what purposes, and under what conditions. Drawing on a diverse array of real-life examples, from Amish farmers to harried parents to Silicon Valley programmers, Newport identifies the common practices of digital minimalists and the ideas that underpin them. He shows how digital minimalists are rethinking their relationship to social media, rediscovering the pleasures of the offline world, and reconnecting with their inner selves through regular periods of solitude. He then shares strategies for integrating these practices into your life, starting with a thirty-day "digital declutter" process that has already helped thousands feel less overwhelmed and more in control. Technology is intrinsically neither good nor bad. The key is using it to support your goals and values, rather than letting it use you. This book shows the way.

Cal Newport is Provost’s Distinguished Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University, and the author of seven books. His ideas and writing are frequently featured in major publications and on TV and radio.From his website: "I write about the intersection of digital technology and culture. I’m particularly interested in our struggle to deploy these tools in ways that support instead of subvert the things we care about in both our personal and professional lives."

The Digital Declutter

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