Lindsey, I read your article, because I'm intrigued. I've pondered ditching my social media accounts and smartphone for a few years, off and on. What I'm reminded by your reflection here is the book, Deep Work, by Cal Newport.
I've sensed that our society, at least part of it, is on the cusp of a Renaissance of sorts - that some of us will recognize the necessity of a slower pace and IRL connection and allow ourselves time and space and room to be bored, so that we can create.
I thank you for this unconventional but very attractive step you are making toward that Renaissance and I hope to join you in it one day.
Totally agree with all of this! It feels to me like we've reached a tipping point as a culture. And I love Cal Newport. His newer book Digital Minimalism is also excellent on this topic.
I read Deep Work and have Digital Minimalism out from the library on my shelf. I am fascinated by this whole experiment because I see myself getting pulled this way and that. I naturally don't have great focus -- not ADHD level, but one evaluation I had said I am stimulated by lots of different modes. One thing I loved about Deep Work was his comparison of digital tools to physical tools and how we evaluate them. With digital tools we tend to think they're worth it if we get "some value" out of it. But with a physical tool you have to actually purchase and keep around, the evaluation is whether the positive impacts outweigh the negative impacts. He called this the craftsman approach.
It's been many years since I've read the book, so this information is a great reminder to me. I also feel pulled back and forth. It's hard to know whether to go to extreme measures, and I generally do not change without much deliberation. What I do know is that I feel more grounded, connected, contented when I am unplugged from the digital world, especially when I turn instead to the natural world.
Thanks for sharing more about this journey you're on! I've had a very narrowly (much smaller) similar experience with one small shift I've made in my life recently. I've started fasting one day a week—something I've vaguely known was part of the Christian faith but never had anyone teach me about. On the days I fast until dinnertime, I also forgo social media and podcasts/music in the car. Lots more silence. Lots more noticing. I write more. (Poetry even). I find simple solutions to problems that have been nagging, most likely simply because now my background brain can give them some attention. None of this on purpose... just the natural human response to decreased stimulation, from food, from noise, from marketing. It just feels alive!
Yes, this is really well said and totally tracks with my experience. It's the "background brain" that becomes completely inaccessible when it is overloaded with stimuli. The no-phone-thing actually started for me with a bit of a fast... I started leaving my phone plugged in on Sundays. And it was realizing how good that felt that pushed me to leave it plugged in for good. I think when I "go back," that idea of a phone Sabbath is something I will definitely keep.
Lindsey, I read your article, because I'm intrigued. I've pondered ditching my social media accounts and smartphone for a few years, off and on. What I'm reminded by your reflection here is the book, Deep Work, by Cal Newport.
I've sensed that our society, at least part of it, is on the cusp of a Renaissance of sorts - that some of us will recognize the necessity of a slower pace and IRL connection and allow ourselves time and space and room to be bored, so that we can create.
I thank you for this unconventional but very attractive step you are making toward that Renaissance and I hope to join you in it one day.
Totally agree with all of this! It feels to me like we've reached a tipping point as a culture. And I love Cal Newport. His newer book Digital Minimalism is also excellent on this topic.
I haven't heard of his newer book but am eager to check it out. Thanks for the recommendation!
I read Deep Work and have Digital Minimalism out from the library on my shelf. I am fascinated by this whole experiment because I see myself getting pulled this way and that. I naturally don't have great focus -- not ADHD level, but one evaluation I had said I am stimulated by lots of different modes. One thing I loved about Deep Work was his comparison of digital tools to physical tools and how we evaluate them. With digital tools we tend to think they're worth it if we get "some value" out of it. But with a physical tool you have to actually purchase and keep around, the evaluation is whether the positive impacts outweigh the negative impacts. He called this the craftsman approach.
It's been many years since I've read the book, so this information is a great reminder to me. I also feel pulled back and forth. It's hard to know whether to go to extreme measures, and I generally do not change without much deliberation. What I do know is that I feel more grounded, connected, contented when I am unplugged from the digital world, especially when I turn instead to the natural world.
Thanks for sharing more about this journey you're on! I've had a very narrowly (much smaller) similar experience with one small shift I've made in my life recently. I've started fasting one day a week—something I've vaguely known was part of the Christian faith but never had anyone teach me about. On the days I fast until dinnertime, I also forgo social media and podcasts/music in the car. Lots more silence. Lots more noticing. I write more. (Poetry even). I find simple solutions to problems that have been nagging, most likely simply because now my background brain can give them some attention. None of this on purpose... just the natural human response to decreased stimulation, from food, from noise, from marketing. It just feels alive!
Yes, this is really well said and totally tracks with my experience. It's the "background brain" that becomes completely inaccessible when it is overloaded with stimuli. The no-phone-thing actually started for me with a bit of a fast... I started leaving my phone plugged in on Sundays. And it was realizing how good that felt that pushed me to leave it plugged in for good. I think when I "go back," that idea of a phone Sabbath is something I will definitely keep.