Full Digital Media Fast
- Make your smartphone a dumb phone. Consider moving anything off your phone that can be accomplished on a computer.
- Think in terms of Distraction vs. Utility.
- Examples of distraction: email, social media, news apps, games, a web browser, YouTube/video apps, Amazon/shopping.
- Examples of utility: phone, text, calendar, airline apps, building/garage access, camera, weather
- Additionally eliminate all other screens for personal use.
- Examples: gaming devices, streaming services, cable television, etc.
- Limit digital technology to only work apps, during work hours, on a desktop or laptop computer. Be committed to no work outside of work hours.
Modified Digital Media Fast
- Move anything off your phone that can be accomplished on a computer as noted in the full digital media fast option.
- For all other entertainment technology, consider fasting all but certain days of the week.
- For Example: Nothing Sunday through Friday, only use for limited time on the weekend of your choosing.
Phones for Purchase
You may want to participate in switching your phone to a lighter version during the month of May. If this is the case, click on the two options below.
“There are two motivations for taking a 30-day break. The first is to detox from the compulsive urge to tap a screen at the slightest hint of boredom. It’s difficult to think clearly about your digital life while you still feel an addictive pull to its algorithmically optimized charms. The second purpose to this long duration, however, is arguably more important: to get back in touch with what you actually value. The alluring noise emanating from our screens provides an easy distraction from the bigger questions about what really matters; what we want to do with limited time here on earth. This month-long reprieve provides the space needed to revisit these questions, and through both self-reflection and experimentation, form some tentative answers.”
Cal Newport, Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World