Programming note #45: digital detox

For January 2022 I am going on a digital detox, where I use digital technology as little as possible and only according to rules that I write down (listed below).

Background: The idea comes from Cal Newport’s “Digital Minimalism”. The aim is to gain perspective on one’s use of digital technology to limit it in a sensible way after the detox. By digital technology Newport means the Internet, smartphones, video games, and video streaming. I would throw in television, radio, newspapers, and magazines – the older parts of the attention economy that try to distract you for the benefit of advertisers.

The rules:

Note: The detox does not apply to work or emergencies. Otherwise:

1. Smartphone: only for voice, email, text and to get the time.
2. Internet: only for banking, shopping, date, time, weather, music, covid information, and this blog.
   • This blog: I can freely use the Internet or anything else to research and write posts. And, of course, I can read, comment on, and administer this blog.
   • No: Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads or anything with a feed and likes, except for:
   • YouTube: but only for music.
3. Video games: only socially.
4. Video streaming: only socially.
5. Television: only socially (except PBS).
6. Radio: only socially (except NPR).
7. Cinema: allowed (but there is no way I am going to one during a pandemic).
8. Magazines: none
9. Newspapers: none.
10. News: only covid-related news.
11. Books: only printed books. No Kindle or reading online.

This is somewhat like when I lived like it was 1979 in the first two weeks of August 2020, but this will be for a whole month. And it is less Luddite, making it easier to produce posts. The aim is not to get rid of digital technology altogether, but to use it mindfully.

PBS and NPR are allowed because they have no ads. Same with books. Printed books have the added advantage of keeping me offline or mindlessly watching television.

YouTube is my great addiction. I allow it for music because, unlike Spotify, I can get it to play music without ads.

News: I will probably know about the big stories second-hand, but if there is some story you want me to do a post on, please suggest it in the comments, either here or anywhere else on the blog. Thanks!

– Abagond, 2022.

See also:

• Digital Minimalism
• Living like it’s 1979
• advertisement
  • The propaganda model
• reading:
  • Reading old books
  • Reading old newspapers
  • How the Internet has changed my reading – from 2000 to 2010.
  • My autumn reading for 2021 – I did not make much headway on this, so there is plenty to read!f
• Zadie Smith on writing – turn the Internet off!

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