- Apr 26, 2023
As someone who grew up in the Internet age, it's hard for me to resist the lure of social media. In the twenty years of the twenty-first century, a large number of SNS into our lives, checking mobile phones has become something we must do when we wake up in the morning and go to bed at night. SNS has taken away a lot of our time, we know but can not allocate. In addition, the Internet has also changed the way we receive and convey information. The excess of information makes our brain and life become chaotic, and even affects our mood, becoming anxious and completely losing the rhythm of life.
But is it just our fault?
Computer science professor Cal Newport points out in this book that developers of new technologies benefit from intentionally cultivating "addiction" to keep us using a product for as long as possible.
Researchers in Silicon Valley are not just developing apps or products. They are "developing people", making them more addicted to their phones and the Internet.
The author introduced an example that impressed me deeply. When the iPhone came out in 2007, Jobs said that it was the best iPod in the world, which combined the iPod with the mobile phone. There was no Apple Store, no set of apps that would later steal our souls.
The little red dots reminding users of user interface messages and the "like and comment" function of Weibo in moments of friends constantly bring "positive stimulation" to people, which makes people want to click and read, while the latter just satisfies people's "desire for social approval". This kind of approval feedback keeps us trapped in a constant cycle.
What makes us really uncomfortable is that we are losing control of our phones/Internet, and how can we gain "autonomy"? After years of research, the author puts forward the concept of "digital minimalism".
The way to optimize the use of technology is to continue to use the technology/tool/software, but find a way to use it efficiently and reduce the amount of energy you waste on it.
"Because technology should not be the master who controls us, technology is the tool we use to create our lives."
Make conscious choices in our lives. The author gives an example of the Amish. In many people's prejudice, the Amish live an ancient and traditional life without technology, but later studies have found that they are living a different kind of "modern civilization". They use modern technology and tools, but they value community connection more. When faced with a new technology, they will try it, but they will also ask themselves, "Is this helping or hurting our lives? Will it help us connect or will it drive us apart?
In the eyes of modern people, the tradition of the Amish is outdated, but they have a more advanced modern civilization.
Untethered to the internet or phone, you can go for a walk, talk to friends and family, connect with your community, read, or look up at the clouds and starry night sky.