The Crux
Cal Newport brings his usual insightfulness and engaging writing style to this excellent work on technology. The crux of the book is actually an expansion of the Craftsman Approach from his book Deep Work[1] expanded and applied to our personal lives rather than our professional lives.
He writes, “I’ve become convinced that what you need…is a full-fledged philosophy of technology use, rooted in your deep values, that provides clear answers to the questions of what tools you should use and how you should use them and, equally important, enables you to confidently ignore everything else” (xvi).
He then argues that of all the philosophies he has looked into one stands out: digital minimalism. He defines it this way, “A philosophy of technology 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” (28).
This philosophy requires a rigorous cost-benefit analysis of technology, opposed to the digital maximalist who embraces all technology if there can be any benefit discerned from its use. The digital minimalist examines every cost the technology may incur and weighs them against its benefits before deciding to incorporate it.
The Problem
Newport’s explanation of the problem is sobering and in-depth. We’ve been pushed into obsessive technology use “by the high-end device companies and attention economy conglomerates who discovered there are vast fortunes to be made in a culture dominated by gadgets and apps” (9). To support his argument he includes quotes from prominent tech leaders such as this quote from the founding president of Facebook, Sean Parker:
“The thought process that went into building these applications…was all about: ‘How do we consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible?’ And that means that we need to sort of give you a little dopamine hit every once in a while, because someone liked or commented on a photo or a post or whatever” (19).
Not only does obsessive social media usage correlate with mental health issues (106), but also tends to spoil our appetite for more meaningful, substantive social interactions that really make memories and build relationships (142).
Newport argues that we must think critically about how we use technology. What if we were charged by the minute by social media platforms, Newport asks (219). How would our social media habits change? These platforms are not neutral. You are engaged in a war for your attention spans “against institutions that are both impossibly rich and intent on using this wealth to stop you from winning” (221). For these reasons we should undertake a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of tech we use and have the boldness to act on the results.
The Solution
Newport’s solution is his digital minimalism approach outlined above. Specifically, he advocates for a 30-day detox from all social media that isn’t absolutely essential for your work or family. Then after the 30 days an evaluation is done to determine which platforms are worth reintroducing. He also has several helpful applications including using our leisure time intentionally to build meaningful relationships and/or developing skills or creating products that have lasting value (177, 182). As Newport says, “Doing nothing is overrated.”
The Why
I found Newport’s analysis of the problem and his solution to be very helpful, but his “why” is where Christians should be discerning. He makes several references to evolutionary theory in an effort to explain why we are compelled to seek the approval of others (21), and to explain how our brains have “adapted” to think about our social life (133). Without a Christian worldview in place people will always seek a genesis elsewhere, because without one it’s hard to make any assertions of how things “ought” to be or how we got here. However, what Newport doesn’t say is that evolution can’t make statements about what is right or wrong, only what is.
Since Newport’s genesis is off his telos of life is off. For instance, he argues with Aristotle that “a life filled with deep thinking is happy because contemplation is an ‘activity that is appreciated for its own sake’” (165). Yet, David Hume admitted the utter despair he felt when contemplating the meaninglessness of a world emptied of God as a result of his hyper-empiricist ideologies. He used drinking and games with friends as a way to stop thinking in order to find peace. We don’t merely need an intellectual life to be fulfilled but a life filled with God: “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you” (Isa. 26:3). The real reason we obsess over social media is because sinfully we forget God and resort to finding our identity in other things such as likes, favorites, the praise of others and the comfort of being entertained by screens, but the truth is we were made to love God and find our happiness in glorifying him and being loved by him (Isa 43:7; Ps 63:3). This truth can transform our screens into instruments of God glorifying productivity and love for others.
[1] Cal Newport, Deep Work, 1st edition (New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2016). 191.
Mike McGregor
Mike McGregor (MDiv, Reformed Theological Seminary) is Director of College Ministry at First Baptist Church in Durham, N.C. You can follow him on Twitter at @m5mcgregor.
