I have been on a bit of a digital journey over the last few months (probably years actually!). It all started when I read the excellent book Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport (highly recommended by the way!), which explores healthy ways to include digital technology in your life.
As alot you will know, digital technology, in particular social media are cleverly designed to keep you on their sites for as long as possible - the longer we stay on their sites the more data they can collect about us and sell to advertiser. This idea is explored in the Netflix doco The Social Dilemma. This ´attention economy´ means companies are forever fighting for our attention and becoming more clever about how they do it. Just having this information is a headstart into managing your digital life.
As these technologies are addictive by design, it becomes important to manage how you use them. Some people go to the extreme of deleting all social media or other notorious time wasters such as Youtube and Netflix. I find that just logging out of Facebook and deleting my details is enough to stop me from using it ALL the time. It is to easy when you are always logged in to just check in and then wonder where half and hour has gone - having to log in each time acts as a barrier and makes me think if I am actually wanting to do anything in particular.
Another thing I notice and have read is that often the first thing people look at in the morning and the last thing they look at before they go to bed is their smart phone. Think about that for a second... looking at a screen before even saying good morning to your loved ones! I have started a rule (which sometimes I break admittedly...) that I wont look at my phone as soon as I wake up. I take my time, enjoy the taste of my coffee and breakfast - being mindful of what I am doing and it makes a huge difference to how I feel. Sometimes it can be harder at the end of the day as we are all often tired and just want to blob. However, when I limit my screen use at night time I notice a huge difference.
Lastly, I try and keep my phone away from reach when I am with other people as much as possible (I have a smart watch so if something is urgent I will know. I have found it sends a bad message if your phone is right there when you are with friends. I cant stand it when I am out with people and I see people out for coffee and they are all on their phones!
I would love to hear if you think my digital tweaks could be helpful for you or how you manage your digital life.
