Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport – Honest Book Review & Key Lessons

Introduction

We are living in a distracted and cluttered world. The society is in dire need of literature that can bring us back to focus and attention. It was this focused approach that helped humanity survive the test of the times. However, today’s world seems to be glued to the white screen with a lost focus. Books like ‘Digital Minimalism’ come right in time to rescue us from our uncontrolled addiction to our devices. In the paragraphs that follow, an effort has been made to present you with an unbiased review of the book ‘Digital Minimalism’

Who is Cal Newport? What qualifies him to write this book?

Cal Newport is an American author who primarily focuses on the genre of self-help and personal development. His most appreciated works are books like ‘So Good They Can’t Ignore You’ and ‘Deep Work’. I believe the author of the book, Cal Newport, is more known for his book titled ‘Deep Work’. However, the ‘Digital Minimalism’ book, according to me, deserves far greater applause because its content is unique and scarce.

Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World: The Subtitle of the book says it all

If you ask me to grade the subtitle of the book ‘Digital Minimalism,’ I believe I would have to rank it among the top few books I have read so far. Cal Newport has done a tremendous job in presenting his book in the best possible title, subtitle, as well as beautiful cover.

Why the Digital Minimalism Book Is Worth Reading

The Digital Minimalism book provides a straightforward analysis of how social media is impacting our lives. It brings its readers out of the fake perception that they can use social media only to their best interest, and get out of that once our purpose is achieved. This is not the way social media applications are designed. These are designed to keep their users stuck to their apps for as much of the time as possible. The battle is between high-paid attention engineers of these companies vs common users, which the later are sure to lose.

Should I read Deep Work first, or start with Digital Minimalism?

Start with Deep Work first. Because that book makes us feel the importance of undistracted attention given to any task. Once that has been achieved, then we go on to battle our biggest attention-stealer, i.e, Gadgets. To counter that, the book ‘Digital Minimalism’ comes to our rescue.

How long does the 30-day declutter take, and what happens during it?

The 30-day declutter is an approach from the Digital Minimalism book by Cal Newport that helps in getting rid of the addiction to gadget use. Those participating in this campaign uninstall all social media apps from their devices for 30 days. After a period of 30 days, the users are gradually allowed to reinstall only those apps that are essential for their day-to-day business.

How is Digital Minimalism different from similar books (e.g., Deep Work, Essentialism, etc.)?

Cal Newport has taken a similar approach but a different style in the book. Digital Minimalism is different from the rest of the author’s creations in a way that it is more practical in nature than theoretical. To get the best out of this book, you will have to be willing to take the practical steps, as merely theoretical knowledge is not enough.

What is “high-quality leisure” according to Newport, and how do you find or build it?

Cal Newport in his book Digital Minimalism, portrays that it is not sensible to get rid of social media without getting it replaced with anything that you really enjoy doing. Those high-quality leisure activities are a must in order to succeed in this game for longer run. If the time that has been stolen from Social Media is not allocated to some other fruitful activity, then it only becomes a matter of time before we fall back into the same trap again.

Is the Digital Minimalism Book Easy To Read?

Yes, Cal Newport is known for his simple style of writing. He repeated the same in this book. Though the ‘Digital Minimalism’ book deals with a very complicated topic but the way it has been explained by Cal Newport in the book, it appears that the ideas shared in the book are not too tough to digest.

How the Digital Minimalism Book Addresses FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

The Fear of missing out is a natural phenomenon that occurs when we stop using social media platforms the way the rest of the world does. The book addresses the issue in two ways. One, it gives practical steps to use social media only for the sake and purpose it was initially made for, i.e., connecting with friends and colleagues. Two, it brings the overall system of excessive connectivity into question. Cal Newport establishes a concept that the human mind is not designed to manage so many connections that we maintain through social media.

From Mindless Scrolling to Meaningful Living

‘Digital Minimalism’ is a book that questions the use of social media the way we are doing now. The endless stream of posts and reels that social media apps show us is in no way fruitful for our mental health. However, if someone wants to get rid of the harmful effects of these tools but at the same time benefit from all the positive things it offers, the Digital Minimalism book by Cal Newport is a perfect book to start with.

How Mobile Phones Turned Into Mini Billboards

The social media applications have brilliantly used the addiction of public to their advantage. With the unending stream of advertisements that are being shown on social media apps, it makes sense for these companies to keep the user on their platforms for as long a duration as possible. Book Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport gives a deep insight into the methods of these social media applications and helps its readers to understand the game in a true sense and save themselves from this trap.

Conclusion

To conclude, the world needs to hear where we stand with all the buzz and noise of social media. We need more people around to question the status quo of our social structures and help us get out of it. In this regard, a beautiful book like Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport is a ray of hope. It gives hope that we are not at the mercy of those social media companies with our lives, and we have people around who can question the unquestionable. Overall, a wonderful book to read.