Digital Minimalism | Workspace Wednesday Ep. 8

Summary

In this episode, the speaker discusses their journey towards digital minimalism, inspired by Cal Newport's book. They reflect on their values and how these should guide their technology use. The speaker evaluates their social media engagement, particularly Twitter, and shares their strategy for mindful usage. They also explore the idea of replacing digital activities with real-world alternatives, aiming for a more intentional relationship with technology.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The speaker is exploring digital minimalism and its impact on their social media use.
• 📅 At the beginning of December, the speaker evaluated their social media platforms and set guidelines to reclaim their attention.
• 📚 The concept of digital minimalism was introduced to the speaker through personal websites, not directly through Cal Newport's book.
• 🔄 The speaker had previously done a social media detox, inspired by Terence McKenna's talk, and found it beneficial for their creativity.
• 💡 Digital minimalism is defined as focusing online time on a few, optimized activities that support personal values, and happily missing out on everything else.
• 🤔 The speaker emphasizes the importance of aligning technology use with personal values and having an intentional mindset.
• 🔍 The speaker conducted research on personal philosophies, which include values, core beliefs, goals, and habits.
• 📝 A personal philosophy dashboard was created in Tana to assess technology use based on values and principles from Cal Newport's book.
• 📊 The dashboard includes fields for core values, goals, and technology use, with a focus on evaluating the impact of each technology on the speaker's life.
• 🕒 The speaker uses Twitter for 20-30 minutes a day, interacting with a curated list of people and learning from shared interests.
• 🚫 The speaker has removed Twitter from their mobile devices and restricted its use to a fixed social media window to limit constant checking and time spent.

Q & A

What is the main topic of discussion in the video transcript?

The main topic of discussion is digital minimalism and its impact on the individual's relationship with social media and technology.

What book influenced the speaker's approach to technology use?

The book 'Digital Minimalism' by Cal Newport influenced the speaker's approach to technology use.

What does the speaker aim to achieve by evaluating their social media use?

The speaker aims to reclaim their attention and shift from an addictive relationship with social media to a more intentional one.

How did the speaker initially engage with the concept of digital minimalism?

The speaker initially engaged with the concept of digital minimalism through a social media detox, inspired by a talk by Terence McKenna.

What does the speaker consider as the core of their personal philosophy?

The speaker considers their values and core beliefs as the core of their personal philosophy.

How does the speaker apply their values to the use of technology?

The speaker applies their values by assessing how different technologies align with their core values and whether they support the things they deem important in life.

What specific actions did the speaker take to limit their use of Twitter?

The speaker removed Twitter from their phone, restricted their use to a fixed 20 to 30 minute social media window, and mainly interacted with a curated list of people.

How does the speaker evaluate the impact of technology on their time and attention?

The speaker evaluates the impact by considering the amount of time spent on a particular technology, its alignment with their values, and whether it distracts from their goals or other activities.

What is the purpose of the 'personal philosophy dashboard' the speaker created in Tana?

The purpose of the 'personal philosophy dashboard' is to serve as a tool for the speaker to reflect on and evaluate their technology use based on their core values, goals, and the principles of digital minimalism.

How does the speaker plan to use the 'personal philosophy dashboard' for future technology evaluation?

The speaker plans to use the 'personal philosophy dashboard' as a dynamic tool, updating and refining it over time to reflect changes in their values, goals, and technology use.