On Going Analog
I recently revisited the book Digital Minimalism. This time, however, I borrowed a physical copy through my university's interlibrary loan program.
The purpose of moving away from my exclusively digital reading habit is to rediscover some of the lost values of analog: analog reading, analog writing, and analog existence.
As an experiment, I am going to fully commit to a month-long digital detox as suggested in Digital Minimalism.
That means the only digital technologies that I am allowed to use are the bare essentials:
- I can use email and browse the web for schoolwork and other necessary purposes.
- I can use a messaging application on a computer to have video calls with my family back at home.
- I can send text messages and make phone calls.
- I can use a computer for schoolwork when a suitable analog replacement is not available.
- I can use a computer for programming and related tasks, such as occasionally posting to this blog, experimenting with the bash shell, or using XCode to practice Swift development.
However, I am not allowed to:
- Browse the internet for entertainment, especially Reddit and Youtube.
- Use a computer for schoolwork when a suitable analog alternative exists.
- Unnecessarily check my phone or email.
- Play video games.
- Consume digital media in a non-social setting.
- Subscribe to any type of feed, such as email newsletters.
To stick to these rules, I made some lifestyle changes:
- I got a paper journal (on which this very post is being written).
- I removed every single non-default app from my phone.
- I removed Windows installation from my desktop computer and installed Pop! OS, an Ubuntu variant, instead.
- I learned the basics of the bash shell so that I can get things done on the command line.
- I borrowed three paper books to read in my leisure time.
- I started wearing an automatic watch instead of using my phone to check my time.
- I started turning off my phone during the day.
In the time I have now due to purging digital entertainment, I will be:
- Getting work done.
- Reading books.
- Relaxing more.
- Meditating.
- Socializing.
- Going on walks.
- Sleeping early.
I am curious how this detox will go. I will report back in a month.