January Book Club Pick: Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
By Jennifer Marshall
This Is My Brave is jumping into this new year with a goal to introduce you to books that can help improve your mental health and I’m so excited about our January book club pick, Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport.
In our hyper-connected world, technology and social media has been taking up more and more of our lives. Recently, I’d been craving less online and more “old school” communication, so I decided to take a personal break from social media. Finding Digital Minimalism was the perfect companion on this digital detox journey. I removed the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram apps from my phone on December 1st and made a commitment to myself to take the month of December to unplug and recharge, enjoying time over the holidays with my friends and family without feeling the need to document what I was up to on social.
This book is a must-read for everyone, even if you don’t engage all that regularly (or at all) with social media. Most Americans today own a smartphone and they’re demanding more and more of our time as compared to ten years ago, to the detriment of our mental health. Suicide rates are higher than they have been in years and I feel like smartphones have a lot to do with the loneliness and isolation our society is facing. We’re so busy staring at our screens that we’re missing what’s going on right around us, with the ones we love. Digital Minimalism not only educates the reader on the addictive qualities of the apps on our phones, but more importantly, it teaches you how to create a healthy relationship with social media and technology in general.
With historical references to how leaders in the past have prospered from solitude, and how as a society today we have neglected the practice of solitude, this book also inspired me to take back control of my precious time. It reminded me of the value in having time alone with my thoughts. Time to reflect on our feelings, difficult situations we’re facing, even dreams for the future. We forget the importance of stillness and quiet because technology always seems to be calling to us. The book also encouraged me to think about what I loved doing before my smartphone stole all my time. I started building my high quality leisure time back into my life, making it the focus, and this device has now become a productivity tool rather than a time suck.
Technology of course has its place in the world. I realize apps and social media aren’t going anywhere, so we definitely need to pay attention to how we’re engaging with them. Especially when our screen time interferes with our mental health.
I highly recommend picking up a copy of Digital Minimalism (or borrowing it from your local library). Read along with us this month and consider hosting a book club meetup with your friends to discuss. Send us an email at: info@thisismybrave.org if your book club is reading along with us and stay tuned for news on a Live author chat if we’re able to connect with Cal to set it up.
