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The Ultimate Student Guide: Should I Digital Detox or Become a Digital Minimalist?

1 Comment / College and University, Digital Detox, Digital Minimalism, Digital Wellness, High School, Mental Health / By

Hey you, 

 

By the time you read this, I will have spent the weekend doing over 12 hours of audience research so that I can create a Screenspire that adds value to your life. 

 

This involved crawling across social media platforms and podcasts to analyze hashtags, common searches, thumbnails, and comments and find the topics that matter to you — things like careers for the undecided, silent struggles, and third spaces where we can make friends with other adults. I’m gonna be real with you: I ended the research session feeling totally drained.  

 

It wasn’t so much the workload (I do more research than this in grad school). It’s just…we are all experiencing so, so much right now. The late night crying sessions about our futures, the assignment anxiety, for some of us the fear of never finding a partner, the social comparison — these are all timeless struggles and insecurities that are uniquely amplified in the digital age. I feel so helpless watching you all deal with them and scream into the void, baring your souls to the internet but not getting a solution. 

 

I’ve been there, and I enter this week more determined than ever to create a platform that serves as a safe, digital homebase for dissecting and problem-solving together. 

 

And on that note, on to today’s post.  

Today’s post comes from a question I’ve been seeing again and again in digital wellness communities from teens and young adults who are trying to adopt more balanced media use habits: should I do a digital detox, or become a digital minimalist?

 

A lot of you are justifiably confused about the differences between these two very similar-sounding approaches to digital wellbeing (to show you how confusing the two can be, I had to repeatedly refer back to a few science articles and videos while writing to remind myself which was which), so in this post, I’ll provide information about what both offer. 


I want to start by saying that I don’t identify as a digital minimalist or a digital detoxer. I don’t firmly subscribe to any single digital wellness approach. Instead, I integrate strategies from a range of approaches and shift them based on my lifestyle needs.

The Difference between Digital Detoxing and Digital Minimalism, Simplified

Digital Detox - a voluntary, temporary “time out” from certain digital devices or activities

According to the University of Berkeley’s Greater Good in Action website, a digital detox is when we practice abstinence from all or select digital devices, features, and content for a period of time. Extreme digital detoxes involve abstaining from all digital devices, features, and content. Targeted digital detoxes involve abstaining from specific digital devices, features, and content for a period of time. 

Digital detoxing involves staying away from some or all of our digital devices, platforms (like social media), and features (like notification) for a specific period of time

There is no standard length of time for a digital detox. Some individuals practice them for a weekend, and some engage in digital detoxes that last an entire month or more. There is also no standard approach to withdrawing from digital media use: some people only disconnect from social media (e.g, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit), some people disconnect from all screen-based devices and media, and some individuals practice digital detoxing by deleting specific apps from their phones or unsubscribing from certain digital services (like food delivery services). 

Digital detoxes are done with the goal of taking a break from the information overload that many of us experience when we spend a lot of time online, and reconnecting with things like our values, goals, hobbies, relationships, and other non-digital experiences we may be replacing with media use.

Digital minimalism - adopting a lifestyle of intentional, optimized media use

Instead of plugging out of media altogether, digital minimalism supports using digital devices and content in optimized ways that energize us. 

 

The term digital minimalism was first coined by Cal Newport, a computer science professor at Georgetown University.

Digital Minimalism according to Cal Newport

“A philosophy of tech use in which you focus your online time on a small number of carefully selected and optimized activities that strongly support things you value, and then happily miss out on everything else.” (Newport, 2019)

You can practice digital minimalism by using only the digital devices, spaces, and features that add value or joy to your life, instead of using all of the digital resources that are available to consumers.

Digital minimalism is all about making long-term shifts so that we engage in a limited number of digital activities that add value and meaning to our lives, instead of adopting every new digital device, feature, or content that becomes available. This means:

  • Understanding that all digital activities have a cost: identifying the costs and benefits associated with different digital devices, features, and content and realizing that anything we choose to engage in will occupy our time and energy.

  • Optimization: planning out how we’ll use digital devices, features, and content to ensure that we’re using these resources in ways that add value to our lives.

  • Being intentional: ensuring that we’re using digital resources in ways that align with our values and goals, and ditching digital activities and resources that are compulsive and unfulfilling.

Digital minimalism allows us to get excited about new media content and technology, while also being mindful about the types of digital tools we allow into our lives. It’s about setting boundaries with ourselves about our media and device engagement and cutting down on media use strategies that don’t support our wellbeing, instead of cutting media out altogether.

What Do Digital Detoxing and Digital Minimalism Look Like in Practice?

I know that the definitions of Digital Detoxing and Digital Minimalism I’ve provided above are vague, abstract, and hard to imagine in a practical context. You may be thinking: “OK, so how would I actually go about starting a digital detox? / digital minimalism routine?” Here’s what each would look like as a practiced routine.

Digital Detox Example: Selena (She / Her)

University students in business programs often have to use a lot of technology to complete assignments

Selena is a fun-loving, creative, busy, and studious 19-year-old Business undergrad who is entering her second year of studies. She anticipates that second year will be intense, packed with weekly tests and challenging group projects. Selena loves connecting with her friends and staying on top of pop culture, so she spends almost all of her spare time (e.g, breakfast time, time in transit, and time after homework) scrolling through TikTok, listening to her fave BTS songs on Spotify, and commenting on her friends’ Instagram posts. 

 

While these practices bring her joy, she finds that she gets carried away with her screen time. The time she spends on social media everyday displaces other activities she enjoys (like making plans with friends, attending concerts, learning to play guitar, and attending marketing conferences). She also finds herself encountering social media content that puts her into negative thought spirals about her worth, her future, and her relationships. 

Selena's Goals for the School Year

In the next school year, her goals are to: 

 

  • Consistently score above 85% on all of her tests. She will do this by beginning to study for tests at least 3 weeks in advance, and devoting at least 3 hours per day to studying.

  • Score an internship at a marketing firm by next April. She will do this by researching job requirements in the Fall, scheduling informational interviews with workers from firms that interest her, and doing at least one volunteer activity each week that will help her gain employable skills.

  • Consistently wake up by 6:45am on weekday mornings. To do this, she will work towards putting her electronics away by 9:15pm and going to bed by 10pm. 

  • Cultivate a stronger understanding of the music marketing industry in her city by connecting with at least 15 marketing professionals in the music industry. To do this, she will send personalized connection requests to at least 30 industry professionals on LinkedIn.

  • Have at least one day every other week where she meets up with one or more of her friends to do something fun (e.g, cafe visit, rock climbing, Boba)


The Plan

Selena knows that she will need to cut down on the time she spends on social media and Spotify in order to achieve her goals. But she finds it hard to resist the social media habits that are taking up a lot of her time, so she chooses to go “cold turkey” and do a digital detox, which she’ll start in the September of her second year and finish in the December of the same year (after final exams). 

During this detox, Selena will: 

  • Uninstall the TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat apps from her phone

  • Keep YouTube, Spotify, and LinkedIn downloaded but turn off notifications

  • Fill some of her spare time with non-digital activities

  • Schedule “Do Not Disturb” on her phone so that it turns on at 9pm each night and ends at 8am the next morning. This will prevent her from getting audible notifications during the night.

 

Here’s what a typical Monday in September looks like for Selena:

Notice how: 

  • Selena is taking a period of complete abstinence from digital tools and platforms that aren’t adding value to her life (TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat)

  • Selena is using the time that she would normally spend on screens to engage in offline activities that enrich her life 

  • Selena is also taking a period of abstinence from certain digital features (e.g, notifications from YouTube, Spotify, and LinkedIn)

  • Selena’s actions are temporary, intentional, and voluntary.

Digital Minimalism Example - Simi (He / Him)

Being a high school student with a full STEM course load can be challenging

Simi is a focused, busy, and goal-oriented Grade 10 (Sophomore) student whose life revolves around school work, extra-curricular activities, and volunteering. He has a heavy course load this semester, packed with many assessment-intense STEM courses including: Biology, Chemistry, and Pre-Calculus. 

 

Simi is really committed to using digital devices and content to support his offline goals. He originally joined social media to stay connected with his family and elementary school friends; get updates on universities and colleges he wants to apply to; and follow STEM, productivity, and study motivation (Studygram, StudyTube, Studytok) accounts. He spends about 5 hours per day using digital media for non-school-related purposes, and feels energized when he learns about a new productivity hack, study method, or productivity app! 

 

However, a lot of the study motivation influencers he follows have switched their niches to cover lifestyle content, so he finds his Instagram and YouTube feeds cluttered with content that doesn’t resonate with him. Along with this, over the years Simi has downloaded dozens of productivity apps and scheduling tools. As a result, his homepage has tons of unused apps on it, his tablet and phone get loads of notifications, and he feels anything but productive. 

Simi's Goals

His social media feeds, tablet homepage, and phone homepage feel cluttered and overwhelming…not at all aligned with his goals for the next school year, which are to: 

 

  • Become a competitive applicant for a neural engineering student program next summer, which he will do by: participating in neuroscience initiatives at school and in his community, performing well in his STEM-focused courses, getting strong letters of recommendation from his instructors and volunteer supervisors, and preparing a strong application.

  • Participate in an engineering hack-a-thon for teens, which he will do by researching hack-a-thons in his area, developing an idea, finding a team, signing up, and practicing together. 

  • Develop a strong understanding of foundational chemistry and biology principles so that he feels confident and ready to enter advanced Grade 11 (Junior) chemistry and biology courses.

  • Get a volunteer position at a local hospital over the Fall semester.

  • Get his G1 license / learner’s permit 1 month after his 16th birthday, which he will do by getting a driver’s manual, studying the manual, and taking practice tests online. 

  • Make 4 new friends before the end of the school year, which he will do by attending more school events (like dances) and speaking more to the students in his classes. 

The Plan

Simi gets a lot of value from the digital devices and content in his life. He wants to amplify this value so that his media use habits will help him to achieve his goals. Simi decides to adopt a digital minimalist approach, which he’ll continue indefinitely and change as needed. To execute this approach, Simi will: 

 

  • Review the accounts and people he follows on social media and unfollow / unsubscribe from the accounts and people that do not align with his goals 

  • Delete and uninstall the apps and tools he is not using so that he can make more space for meaningful apps (like Quizlet) 

  • Use the grayscale feature on his iPhone so that he can avoid the temptation to engage in endless scrolling when using video and photo-sharing sites. 

  • Subscribe to more hack-a-thon prep accounts for teens, and begin following the official account for the neural engineering student program he wants to join, so that he can get updates and ask questions as he prepares his application

  • Use his digital calendars to plan out important dates like application deadlines, friends’ birthdays, and school dances

  • Cut back on the amount of time he spends using screen-based devices so that he can do more things that directly support his goals for the year

Here’s what a typical Monday in September looks like for Simi:

Notice how:

  • Simi is still using all the digital platforms and devices he enjoys, but is doing so in ways that support his goals

  • Simi has optimized his social media feeds by unsubscribing from accounts that do not add value to his life and subscribing to accounts that do

  • Simi is leveraging his digital tools to support goals that are not related to his digital media habits (e.g, setting up a calendar with school events so that he can plan to attend them, downloading Quizlet to squeeze in more study time)

  • Simi is practicing a lifestyle shift instead of a short-term change

So, which one is better: Digital Detoxing or Digital Minimalism?

The answer is that there’s no approach to digital wellness that will be a perfect fit for all of us. We’re all so different…with different needs (e.g, social, productivity, mental health, physical health), relationships with our goals, lifestyles, and circumstances. The best option for you is the one that will allow you to live in close alignment with your values, lifestyles, and goals while meeting your needs.

 

It’s the one that will help you feel satisfied and content as you move through everything else in your life. Additionally, although each of us will have different experiences with digital wellness, I believe that the best approach will not make you feel trepidation or reluctance when you envision yourself following it. While it may be challenging to get used to, it shouldn’t detract from your life’s existing high points.

 

Here are some things to consider if you’re interested in exploring one of these digital wellness practices: 

Try Digital Detoxing if:

  • You want a complete reprieve from one or more digital devices or services for a period of time.

  • You feel like certain types of media content and services (e.g, social media, entertainment media, notifications from certain apps) do not have a place in your life anymore. 

  • You find it hard to think or focus if you have access to certain types of digital media content or services

  • You want to take a temporary leave from all forms of media to recenter your internal (e.g, values, goals, opinions) and external (e.g, hobbies, relationships) offline experiences (this could be for a weekend, a week, a month, a quarter, a year)

  • You want to make a short-term lifestyle shift that brings short-term and long-term gains


Try Digital Minimalism if:


  • You want to trim off media habits that aren’t working for you while continuing media habits that bring you joy

  • You want to simplify - but not divest from - your digital life. You want to use technology on your own terms.

  • You want to use media in ways that support and amplify parts of your life that matter to you (e.g, your academic goals, your career goals, your character development) 

  • You want to spend some time reflecting on and better understanding the digital media habits that cluttering your life without adding value, and the habits that are energizing you. 

  • You want to make a long-term lifestyle shift

I hope this helped to set the record straight on a common area of confusion for us. Once again, there is no single, magical digital wellness approach that will address all of our digital wellness needs, or make us unstoppably productive or happy. You will thrive in the approach that most aligns with the rhythm, values, and goals of your life. 

 

What did you think about Selena and Simi’s schedules? Do they seem realistic and relatable for their levels of study (college and high school)? Or were they too rigid?

 

Approach media with love. Not fear.

Josanne Buchanan

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