In computer science, the principle of least privilege states a process, user, or program must be able to access only what is necessary for a legitimate purpose. Therefore the least amount of resources are put into use. This principle is similar to the Unix philosophy of doing one thing and doing it well. In our modern world, some 40-50 years on in the digital age, we have developed so many technologies that have empowered and enabled us. These technologies have and continue to foster a convenience that has grown out of control.

We have endured much angst, and anxiety, and expended energy to contain, curtail, and even relate to these technologies. We have an opportunity to see the impact our technologies are having upon us and to reroute our paths and journey with it. Digital minimalism is a philosophy that empowers us to question our current relationship and future with digital technologies. It beckons us to consider the time and energy we are wasting in managing our technologies and digital lives. This article endeavors to explore the philosophy of digital minimalism.

The Question of How Much

When the printing press was invented, there was likely pushback from people who believed its very existence would end society. Today we know they were wrong. But that argument cannot be made for every technology that has followed suit. There have been some very well-intentioned innovations which have taken over our lives. The personal computer, personal digital assistants, computer networks, smartphones, WiFi and the Internet are all innovations that have been a blessing and a curse. Many of us have allowed them into our lives as they have surely been a slow boil. How many of these technologies are helpful versus just shiny distractions? Of those shiny distractions, how many are harming us? Digital minimalism asks these questions.

Do we need all of the notifications our mobile devices bombard us with every day? Do we need access to email while we are away from our desks? Have we lost or are we losing our ability to converse and relate to each other because of text messaging? These are questions I have asked myself quite a few times. How much digital technology do I need to live in this modern world? I have learned that what I need is less than what the mainstream media, consumer technology companies, and the general public believe. I know that I and many others could get by on less while gaining joy, freedom, and community in the process.

Before the Internet

In the late 1980s-1990s the 3.5-inch floppy disk was the storage medium of choice for consumers and academics alike. While the disk only had a capacity of 1.44 megabytes, it was more than enough for most people to store and transport some important files. During that period, image and video files were not as large as they are now. The majority of internet content was text-based. People would keep multiple floppy disks for a variety of subjects. Perhaps some for text documents and spreadsheets or per class subject. When 1.44MB is your limit, you are much more selective about what you store and what you discard.

As storage mediums grew, users could store and share larger files. Textual files were shared as Microsoft .doc and Adobe .pdf files (both proprietary formats) and thus often were larger in comparison to their plain text versions. In the early days of the Internet, bandwidth was low and thus text-based sites were the logical content. Images were also included, but in such low resolution, they were more novelty or decoration than information. Encyclopedias were still printed and valued. CD-ROM versions of encyclopedias were becoming available in multimedia formats, meaning they included images, audio, and video. Still in low resolutions.

Today most Internet-connected users enjoy some form of broadband connectivity. We can share high-quality audio and video files in seconds. Floppy disks are no longer a manufactured medium. Multi-terabyte disk drives are common and affordable for the average consumer. This shift in storage accessibility has led to an explosion in the creation of data.

Data vs. Valuable Information

As storage has become so much less expensive, corporations and consumers have been able to create, duplicate, and store massive amounts of data. They do so without a care for the space or power consumed in the process. We are simply generating data sets that may have a one-time or limited use and get stored forever. Consumers can store huge amounts of pictures and videos which they may never look at again. We are simply keeping data and not so much valuable information.

There is something else larger happening here. Perhaps something even more sinister. As we have shifted our focus to video presentation for our information we are losing our ability to write and articulate in written form. Written language has expanded our ability to think. Vocabulary and language allow us to communicate articulated thoughts, ideas, concepts, and theories. When we stop writing we also stop the practice of commanding our language. Our vocabularies become limited, stunted, and thus our thoughts.

Taking Back the Mind

I submit the Internet has, as a side effect, impacted our ability to think. We have become stunted by platforms and applications. Applications tell us how to think, and how to arrange information. Whereas before we used these applications our brains were the systems. Today we press a button and consume information without thought, similar to a candy bar from a vending machine. We are losing our minds to the machines.

In the earlier days of computing consumers had to become geeks as they learned how to use their machines. Some became nerds as they pursued the inner workings of the operating systems of their computers. These nerds were sometimes called wizards. Over the last forty years, the technology manufacturers have built GUIs (graphical user interface) to replace the functionality of what was previously done in the text-based interfaces. As a result of this process, consumers have had to understand less about how their machines work and only where to find a button or menu item to complete a task. While this has been helpful about time spent learning, it has been detrimental to the ability to think and remember task sequences and actions. Taking back the mind is fundamental to my digital minimalism philosophy.

Having had the experience of living in a world with various technologies (both competing and progressive) and having seen the birth of the Internet, I have had a unique ability to reflect. I started my IT career at a helpdesk before remote screen sharing as common. Instead, we worked from printed screenshots in binders, handwritten notes, and our memories to walk callers through sequences and troubleshooting. While it may seem archaic to the technical support industry of today, working from memory was vitally important to understanding the system. Today we use search engines to recall information instead of remembering information ourselves. Are our minds going soft? We must get them back.

My Digital Minimalism Philosophy

My personal DM philosophy consists of the following principles.

I first determine the action or task I seek to accomplish and then determine if it is essential or nice to have.
I seek to use the minimal software or protocol necessary to accommodate.
I seek to keep the technology as local to my home and self as possible. This means self-hosting when able and not relying on big tech.
I seek to automate tasks when possible. Automating jobs on a computer can be very helpful in reducing my interaction so I may experience life.
I use paper and pen where it has value. Note-taking while away from my desk and daily journaling happens with a paper notebook and pen.
I seek to keep as much of my digital life offline.

How I Digitally Minimize

Smartphone

I have an Android-based smartphone because it allows me the ability to customize well and leverage alternative app stores. Here is what I have done to reduce my need for the device.

Set the wallpaper to solid black.
Set the phone to greyscale all the time.
Limit gaming apps in both quantity and screen time.
Do not employ any social media apps on my device, except for RedReader (Reddit).
Use NewPipe as the default app for YouTube videos: This app does not have in-line ads and removes ads in the videos which means my YT experience is cleaner overall.
Access email from my desktop only (though I still keep mail apps on my phone)
Leverage Digital Wellbeing (android settings) to…
Set time limits on my most used applications. Eg. DuckDuckgo and RedReader (Reddit) have a limit of 1hr each for the entire day.
Set Focus mode from 8:30 AM – 4 PM, limiting apps such as Amazon, RedReader, and any other app with potential for distraction.
Set Do Not Disturb to start at 9 PM and only let family members contact me.
Disable notifications on every app upon installation except for messaging apps and calendars.
I stop myself when reaching for my phone just to pass the time between human interactions or other activities. Instead, I use my phone at fairly specific times.

Desktop

I use Linux Mint as my desktop operating system.

Leverage Pi-Hole (ad-blocking server) and uBlockOrigin (browser plugin) to block ads on my computer and network.
Use Thunderbird as a mail client for all of my personal mail accounts.
Use the terminal to write and edit text whenever possible.
Use the terminal for any work that is feasible such as file management, system updates, server administration, downloading files, etc.
Leverage Nextcloud (hosted on my network) to sync and share documents and files with my family.
Manage passwords locally at the desktop with a backup script that makes a copy of the database nightly to an external USB device.
Access YouTube from the browser or the FreeTube app.
Keep digital notes in Joplin which syncs to Nextcloud on my phone and laptop.
Use full-screen mode when possible to minimize distractions such as attention-grabbing screen elements.
Leverage older desktop hardware. By running Linux on an older desktop I set the standard for the amount of power I need from my computer. Currently, my computer is a 2012 model.
Use a Chromebook (low-power device) with an installation of Linux for remote work.

Network and IoT Devices

Leverage Pi-Hole to block ads on all browsers, smartphones, and smart TVs.
- Use large block lists to block general ads and porn, and a Regex to block Roku ads.

Media

I have access to Amazon Video and Spotify. However, I rarely if ever use Amazon to stream.

Leverage yt-dlp to retrieve content for offline viewing.
Leverage the library for DVDs, music, and books.
Leverage a variety of websites that offer ebooks, videos, and audiobooks.
Employ a Plex media server to view gathered videos.
Automate it-dlp to retrieve content directly to my Plex server for easy viewing. It’s similar to your streaming service.

Writing

I write using a plain text editor (xed) and sometimes LibreWriter depending on the job.
I write in a bound paper notebook with a fountain pen when possible.

Digital minimalism is about recognizing and evaluating technology’s current place in your life and developing the discipline to manage it well.