For those seeking mental clarity, purposefulness, and efficiency by letting go of what they don't need.

Post here about how you are creating a minimalistic digital space.

Screenshots are allowed only in this thread.

Previous Threads

I've seen a lot of people on this sub opting to use their phones on gray scale to reduce their screen time. I've tried on multiple occasions to make the switch to grayscale, however I kept finding myself reverting back to regular colors. Recently I found a way to make individual apps grayscale on iphone which I haven't seen anyone talk about.

Here's how to do that on iphone:

1. Open Shortcuts app and press the + to create a new shortcut

2. Search for "color filters" and set the shortcut to turn color filters on

3. Create another shortcut and set it to turn color filters off

4. Create a new automation for when app opened, run color filters on

5. Make another automation for when app opened, run color filters off

I hope this makes sense. While it's not perfect I find it to be far more helpful than having everything on my phone on grayscale.

As long as i have any internet, apps, or even photo gallery, i can get stuck for undetermined amounts of time. An optimal gadget for me would have this functionality:

-calling function

-audible, storytel and their equivalents (audiobooks)

-music or music app, eg soundcloud (it’s free)

-an app for language learning, i use knowt

-gps and maps

-internet only accessible for the apps above, NO browser

Blocking apps hasn’t worked, i can unblock them. Also, i had tried using an app for a year (One Sec) that would force me to pause before accesing apps, only made me wait longer and sometimes in situations where i have to use phone quickly can’t be used, hence had to keep deleting it from time to time.

Or is either good?

Indistractable

https://www.ebay.com/itm/316088581186?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=Lp5_I3ZaRj2&sssrc=2051273&ssuid=Lp5_I3ZaRj2&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Irresistible

https://www.ebay.com/itm/316088564793?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=Lp5_I3ZaRj2&sssrc=2051273&ssuid=Lp5_I3ZaRj2&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

After I left social media, and deleted my accounts I decided to leave Reddit because I felt that I do not use Reddit much and I searched for all the things I need and thank you all for helping people share the information they need.

Reddit for me is a different platform from the rest of the platforms I searched for things about my university and my simple life after I felt that I have no future after graduating from secondary school.

Now it is time to start a new part of my life and use WhatsApp YouTube only after I recovered from YouTube addiction and joined the university of my dream and chose the college that my uncle (my mother's brother) advised me Environmental Science although it was not the college I managed to join which is the College of Medicine and Surgery, but I am happy, sorry for my bad English.

Thanks and goodbye.

Hi All,

I might be too old for socials to be my main digital whirlpool, but I have a similar problem I see some of you posting about, relating to the news. You don't want to feel like you're missing anything. I don't want to feel that way about what might have been happening in the world while I was sleeping! I finally hit on a solution that's working for me as of now - the daily newsletter. I use one from NYTimes; the only possible temptation is they embed links in the newsletter, but thus far I've been able to not click them. I basically need one little hit of up-to-date content and stimulation to complete my morning coffee ritual, and this works for me. So I'm wondering if anybody has come across (an app? a browser extension??) something that similarly summarize or show the most recent or most popular posts on a social media site. If so, maybe that could help those who have trouble with these sites.

First of all, sorry if I have an error or something, English is not my primary language.

My niece is 7 years old and I think she spend a lot of time in her tablet and on the phone, I know that it's affecting her, she can't stay focused in a task for more than a minute, she can't go to the bathroom without her table, she can't even eat without using her tablet, last time I tried to take it away from her because she was eating and got upset and said that she gets bored if she doesn't have the table.

I've tried to convince my sister to be more conscious about her technology usage, I sent them articles, videos talking about how technology can affect the development of the child, how can it develop anxiety and ADHD, and so on, but she doesn't take me seriously, also, she's phone addicted (I see her all the time on her phone) so that doesn't help either.

I want to help her because I know the effects that phone adicction can have on us, especially in childrens, as someone who struggles with limiting my phone usage and it's slowly getting better, I want to help her too, I'm afraid that if I don't do something to change her habits, when she grows up, she will have a lot of problems and it would be harder for her to quit.

So that's it, can I do something to help her or I shouldn't do anything because it's not my business?

I hate that I can't block stuff I want to block. It's stupid that it's impossible to make an app like cold turkey for iOS.

It's just easier for me to live when I know that there is no way to access distractive apps but if I know that there is a way.. man... it just calls me

What you guys think would help you the most on the journey?

Not that I am remembered the most now, but I’m scared. I hate the feeling of having social media as the “go-to” solution, and when I craved for a connection, I want to get rid of it so bad but even now no one barely reaches out to me, or checking in, what’s gonna happen if I am completely off the grid? Tips from the pro anyone?

I’m tired and super exhausted.

hello,

Does anyone happen to have any inexpensive, wired, mp3-like music player recommendations where I can download music for free? I currently use my 902kc for music, but it's Bluetooth, so it's ultimately unfavorable for listening purposes!

I'm 23m having grown up with smartphones and technology. Back when I was little and the iPhone and iPod touches were new a few kids in my class had them. We would a gather around a watch what they were playing. A lot of other kids had DS or PSP. I didn't and I really wanted a smartphone, but wasn't allowed to have one. Looking back I am grateful. I got my first smartphone in the 7th grade. If I could have it my way I would not have a smartphone. I look around these days and everyone has their phone out. When I go to class instead of people talking before everyone is just on their phone and I feel like it makes it hard to socialize and get to know people. Another thing is that people don't how to be present anymore. Ask a young person today to sit on a bus or ride in a car without using their phone and they won't know what to do. Sometimes it keeps me up because I am endlessly scrolling on whatever app. I deleted all of my social media. I see people missing lifetime games or things because they are on their phone half the time. I guess I should probably accept reality, but I do believe it is changing our society and making us more isolated, depressed, and anxious.

Trying to figure out why I get on instagram so much. I think I get on to confirm I’m not missing out on anything, but don’t actually view the ppl I follow content so I don’t find out the real answer. I just watch random reels. It’s like I’m checking, but not really checking to make myself feel better.

Hi all,

For well over a month now I have deleted Instagram. Insta was my main source of mindless phone use, I could use it easily 2-3h a day. Now, I’ve found myself to still have high screen time. I’m constantly on whatsapp, texting family and friends. Whatsapp is at least 2-3 hours daily for me. I basically cannot just delete whatsapp, because it’s what everybody I know uses mainly for staying in touch. (although, fuck meta, i would love to delete it)

Even when im not on whatsapp, I will just be doing something as dumb as scrolling through my photo’s app.

I thought after deleting instagram my phone addiction would be close to over, but it seems to be deeper than that. Do others here relate? And how do you beat a general “screen addiction”?

EDIT TO ADD: it's really easy to bully people in the cyberspace because you don't get to feel the shame of how you've hurt them by seeing their face. You get to look at a screen and find other people your age who do it with you- which reinforces your actions. For the sake of people you think are dumb- how about using some skill in trying to give support, advice, training- rather than the effortless bullying? This is not adding anything to the world, in the same way the younger generations loss of skill is a deficit. Besides that- those without skill in the tech world have so much value, worth, dignity (and maybe even skill) that we aren't able to fathom. That includes me. And that value, dignity, worth includes you as well. I know that- but some people may not. So please- don't spend your time on the internet doing this.

Also- please validate real medical conditions that cause one persons brain to work differently than yours. I don't intend any aggression by this. Genuinely. I wish you the best. Peace-

Since iPhone became a main way I use email etc I haven't had to learn much of the changes made from old operating systems from when I was like 15 and younger (I'm 28 now). I used to organize folders really well and know where anything if I needed was.

Now I am trying to move my photos from my iPhone and switch to a dumb phone and I have to figure out windows whatever.0

I am SO visually overstimulated that I hate using it. Is it just me or is it a lot more colors, pop ups, apps etc etc etc

And I have to install two separate extensions to upload iPhone photos and videos and be able to see them due to the file type?? And so no where can I see all my photos and video thumbnails together?

Life used to be so much easier. It was just all the files in one place

I am getting these feelings of hopelessness/overwhelm triggered

Sometimes it feels like everything is against me when trying to make these changes

I could really use some encouragement and ideas

I think I hate microsoft and if I'm going to utilize a computer to get work done I'm not sure I can use this

Please tell me I have choices

and there is an option

And in the mean time how do I see all my photos and videos in one place?

(As a side note I do have sensory processing disorder)

I’m developing an alarm clock designed for a more natural wake-up experience and fewer distractions in the bedroom. Its key feature? No snooze button – the alarm only turns off when you actually get out of bed. It will also help make your phone unnecessary in the bedroom.

Key features:

• No button to stop alarm.
• No snooze button. Turn off the alarm by getting out of bed.
• Monitors presence in bed. If you go back to bed after getting up, the alarm will start ringing again.
• Dual alarms and wake-up mechanism for two people. The sensor – at least for now – will be placed on the bed frame, not inside the alarm clock.
• Loud stereo speakers.

Would you be willing to take 2 minutes for a short survey? It would really help me better understand the potential market.

https://forms.gle/PZ2Gn7QVEUTKqW3C7

With endless gratitude!

https://preview.redd.it/num377je4lge1.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8cd0510852ac06f6b30c0b8ac6a633c87e12c9ab

One of the prototypes, so you don’t think I’m just spamming :)

So I’ve been doing some experimenting lately in trying to get my screen time reduced. Currently it’s averaging about 4 hours a day but that includes an hour of workout where I’m watching a show to distract me from how much I hate working out and 2 hours of using my iPad for taking notes for a certification I’m working on (Which is why I bought the iPad in the first place)

However, 4 hours a day is not what my phone was saying my average screen time was. It was saying my average screen time per day was roughly 10.5 hours but when checking against the actual apps, the math wasn’t adding up.

So I decided to do some experimenting and found out, if you have an iPhone that supports ‘Always On’ for the screen, it’s counting that against your screen time! I toggled it off and my screen time started reflecting closer to how I’d expect it to. It seems like notifications that light up your screen might also count against it, but I haven’t been able to nail down quite the impact there.

So when you are looking at your numbers, make sure you dig down into the actual numbers and not just the summary. Maybe things aren’t as dire as you think!

For the record, I turned the Always On function back on because the usefulness of it far outweighs the annoyance of it saying I’m using my devices for 10 hours a day.

I should preface this by saying that I'm aware this isn't a dating or relationship-focused subreddit, but I think my question would be too 'niche', not be understood, or not go over well if I were to post it on something like r/dating.

In looking for a partner (F, I'm M, and I'd be looking for someone around 35 - 45), one of the qualities that's important to me as a matter of compatibility of values, like how some people might prefer to only date fellow vegans, or people of the same political alignment, is someone who doesn't use certain modern technologies, or at least not use them in the way that most people do (e.g., casually and frequently). I suppose my ideal would be someone who didn't even own/use a cell phone (or, if she did, only a flip phone or something like that, and only use it for making or receiving phone calls) and has nothing to do with 'social media', uses the internet minimally for things like e-mail, looking things up, and so on - and not as the automatic 'go-to' method for doing something that could be done by other means. But this ideal doesn't seem realistic and so I'd be happy with someone who is a 'digital minimalist' to a slightly lesser extent.

I've never owned a cell phone myself, and my internet use is much as I described (I don't consider Reddit 'social media' but something more like an old forum or message board), in part because I think that mediating one's experiences and interactions with the world through these kinds of technologies change the way one is disposed to experience and interact - and to think, feel, etc. - and I would want someone who also wasn't affected (or as affected as most people are) in how they experienced, thought, felt, in what they did, etc. by the mediation of these technologies.

Obviously such a person will be incredibly rare, and online dating clearly isn't an option. Does anyone care to brainstorm suggestions for this? Anyone using this subreddit who is in a relationship with another 'digital minimalist' care to say how you met, etc.?

Hey all. My goal’s been to spend time on things I care about most (family and work), and it’s painful how arrogant my phone is to my goals. Notification dots, silent notifications, low priority notifications - all that make me feel I still need to check on those.

I’m not really ready to move to a dumbphone because I want to stay connected with everything, just on my terms. I’ve worked on my notifications, email subscriptions, app icons on the main screen, etc. But notifications keep coming, and either I ignore them, missing the stuff, or switch to them, missing the other stuff. I want to get the notifications, but only if I choose to and when I choose to, and in an organized way as opposed to all things at once.

Has anybody had the same feeling? What do you do?

I am getting 50+ notifications a day from Substack, email, youtube, smart home, linkedin, and in the email I get plenty of most interesting subscriptions and discussions. That's more than I can digest in a day, even without scrolling the social networks (that was easy given how many other things there are).

I am looking for a way to summarize all those info streams and reverse the direction. For example, get a UI that will show all the topics I got notified on (finances, politics, social, etc.) with summaries, and let me drill into the topics I want to unpack, when I want to do it, and if I want to do it.

I hope this is okay to post here, I wasn't really sure where else to post.

Me and my partner have fallen into a routine where we spend a lot of our time together just watching TV.

Now we're both working a lot of hours with mismatched schedules and often one or both of us are feeling mentally tired, and we also don't get a lot if time together as it is, so TV has become an easy go to.

But I want us to do things that are away from screens where we can be more present with each other. I considered board games but I've struggled to find board games designed for 2 people, and jigsaws won't work because I live in a very small house so we don't have the space to put a partially completed jigsaw when we're not doing it.

I'm pretty arty but he's really not so sadly I think painting together is out of the question too.

Do any of you lovely digital minimalists have any suggestions?

I'm looking for something that's hard to bypass and can block uninstallation for 24 hours.

im new to "digital minimalism", i was SEVERELY addicted to my phone, spending upwards of 8 hours a day on instagram reels, youtube shorts, sometimes even facebook reels (luckily i deleted tiktok about a year or two ago) i was late diagnosed adhd, and finally got medicated at 24 years old, two months ago. though adhd medication isnt really a magic pill, you still need to control your focus to some extent. so, the night before i was going to start my medication, i was really nervous, i had been afraid it wasnt going to "work" or at least give me the results i wanted. i felt like my attention was being controlled by the multimillion dollar industry that is making our phones as addictive as possible.
so i decided in the middle of the night (pretty impulsively) to give myself a step up and make my phone into a dumbphone using a minimal launcher. i have another adhd friend who has tried flip phones to curb his phone addiction, but ultimately our cellphones have too many features that are needed for everyday life, (especially as a young woman, gps is crucial for saftey). so this was the best option for me. i went cold turkey, i deleted everything and only kept what was necessary (maps, calendar, authenticator, neko atsume 2, etc LOL) the next morning i almost forgot what i had done, picked up my phone to open Instagram as soon as i woke up.

that was two months ago now, and i have no desire to reinstall anything. i noticed a difference right away, i feel freedom, i feel happy, at peace, and i kinda feel like im rebelling against modern society in a way?? like ive stepped out of the matrix or some shit lol. i still have instagram on my tablet and on my pc, which i open to check on friends occasionally. however, i dont know what it is, but i just.. dont care to use it?? i assume its because its not as optimized on pc/tablet as it is on a cellphone, so i may watch a max of 3 reels a day now, usually 0, when it used to be probably like 300 reels a day on my phone.

after about a month and a half of my dumbphone journey, my boyfriend also asked me to make his phone into a dumbphone too. he decided to keep instagram and youtube, but with the apps hidden and with a 10-15 min daily timer on it. (just including to show this is an option if youre not ready to get rid of EVERYTHING) still, he also noticed a difference immediately, peace, freedom, like the brain fog has lifted, he says he feels more patient, and i notice he seems more patient.
modern relationships tend to end the day with side by side phone time in bed, and it.. doesnt feel good. now, we read next to eachother in bed nightly, and even though we're both in our own books, for some reason it feels so much better. like youre really in the moment present with that person, its cute and warm and cozy, whereas doing the same thing but on our cell phones felt impersonal and cold.

another reason i wanted to curb my cell phone addiction was just imagining how much more i could do if i turned the 8 hours a day phone time into something else. not necessarily working on "productive" things like work or chores, i felt that would come naturally, but i wanted to play more videogames, read more books, even watch more shows. my list of unplayed or unfinished games was a mile long. so, i started bringing my ds/switch with me. instead of scrolling on work breaks, in between tasks, in waiting rooms, etc, i started gaming on the go!! after only a week i had finished a kriby game that i had been picking away at for over a year !!!
surprisingly, one of my favourite tools for my digital minimalism journey, is actually my smart watch! i have a samsung fit 3, which i got on sale to replace my fitbit a couple months before making my phone into a dumphone. i was using my fitbit only when i was at work, since im not allowed to have my phone, i wanted something to be able to tell the time, and more importantly, read notifications, just in case there was ever something urgent. but the fit 3 is the perfect smart watch thats not TOO smart! so i wear it all the time. it can control music, you can read notifications, you can see calendar events, set timers, turn on alarms, use the calculator, etc etc. even though my phone doesnt have any addictive apps on it now, the less i pick it up the better, and i think without realizing, the smart watch made the transition even easier. i dont have to grab my phone to check something on my calendar, or use the calculator. i can put my phone to charge at night, and since i wear the watch to bed, i can turn on phone alarms if i forgot to (which i often do,) without picking up my phone again. often at home i dont even know where my phone is, but i can turn on my wireless headphones, they connect to my phone (wherever it is) and i can hit play on my watch to play whatever i was last listening to, then i can jam around my house without even picking up my phone at any point. it feels like freedom.

using a minimal launcher on my phone has genuinely changed the game for me, i think its changed my life. ive been trying to get everyone i can on this, i tell everyone about it. i have a cosplay Instagram account and recently went to a cosplay con with a friend without telling anybody, it was like i was undercover. i had some people ask where ive been, and when i told them i deleted instagram and showed them my dumbphone launcher everyone had the same sentiment of "i want to do that to"
it seems like everyone wants more control, wants to be free from the grips these mega corporations have on our attention, but its hard to make the first step. if youre considering it. i believe you can do it, and the result will be so so worth it.

thanks for reading my long winded thoughts about my digital minimalism journey. sorry for the long post, but born with adhd, i am nothing if not a chatterbox. not that im the most knowledgeable on this subject, but i would love to answer any questions, so please feel free to comment :) i am very passionate about this topic and my experience & love to talk about it!

tldr:
after spending up to 8 hours a day on social media i decide to go cold turkey and make my phone into a dumbphone using a minimal launcher, i notice an immediate difference, spending my time doing things i WANT to do. my boyfriend also makes his phone into a dumbphone and our connection, and general relationship satisfaction increases. additionally, a smart watch is a great tool to avoid needing to pick up your cellphone and get distracted.

No one ever decided they’ll spend their free evening scrolling socials for hours.

Yet everyone does it. So much of life is spent scrolling endlessly on a little device. It made me wonder:

What if we didn’t have it?

No endless entertainment. No addictive tool always in your pocket. Just nothing.

Now you suddenly have to choose what you’re going to spend your time doing. Or you stare at the wall.

Imagine that. Check your screen time, and imagine you had that time every day, being forced to just stare at the wall. Being forced to be bored.

Maybe you could do it for a day. Or 2. Maybe even an entire week.

But after a while, you would get absolutely sick of it. And you’d take action. You’d start something, find a new thing to do. Something that interests you, some new life experience. Anything to escape those horrific hours of boredom every single day.

You’d go out in the world more often. You’d meet new people. You’d build stronger relationships. Your life would start to look different.

My question to you is: What would your thing be? Do you know what you would do if you couldn’t distract yourself?

And if you don’t,

Are you ever going to find out?

This past weekend I made my way to Brooklyn to attend two full days of workshops at the Strother School of Radical Attention (SoRA).

If you’ve not heard of SoRA, it’s a non-profit formed in the past couple years that’s raising awareness about our relationship to attention, how disruptive technological forces have reshaped and commodified our attention, and what we can do as a collective to regain dominion over it in all its varied forms.

SoRA runs Attention Labs. These are workshops led by facilitators who guide participants through a series of ‘Practices of Attention’. The purpose is to highlight and engage with forms of attention that can’t be commodified. These ways of paying attention are less common for us in our day-to-day lives and so are both novel and sometimes even uncomfortable.

After engaging in a practice, you’ll sit in a circle with the other participants, share your experiences, and engage in a discussion. As the facilitators say, this is where the magic happens. Listening is where attention really shines.

During this past weekend SoRA also hosted their first ever ‘Train the Trainer’ workshops. These helped participants learn how to run their own Attention Labs to bring back to their communities. Facilitation is not something I’ve done a lot of in my life, but the space and everyone in it was so encouraging that I felt really comfortable as I led a few small groups through some Practices of Attention.

While SoRA is young and small, it’s fantastically well-run and well-thought out. There’s a strong philosophical and socioeconomic underpinning to everything they teach and do. The facilitators were highly engaging, warm, patient, and just really fun. And SoRa’s space (which they call an Attention Sanctuary) in DUMBO is beautiful.

What’s also incredible is that all these workshops were free to attend.

(They do often some courses that are paid. I signed up for a three-week Attention Activism 101 online course that’s been tremendous so far.)

If you’re starting to question social media + Big Tech and how they’ve reshaped your attention for their benefit and your detriment, SoRA is a great entry point to explore this further.

I’ve been using Google Voice for years, including an obi box for my home and cell phone. It was great when I worked at home because I could just have the Google Voice webpage open on the computer to respond to text messages and any incoming calls landed on my desk. I didn’t need my smart phone at all.

I’m looking for something similar. Something like the equivalent of a flip phone but one that will work with a desk phone or the computer. I’m a contractor and I spend a lot of my day working out of my truck. It’s not a problem to have the computer with me But honestly, the cell phone is a constant distraction.

I’m wondering if anybody out there has the equivalent to a smart phone, maybe even one that uses cellular data to allow a VIP number to be used so that I can use the desk phone and other devices to check it. Unfortunately Google Voice can’t do this anymore. Any suggestions?

I've been majorly addicted to Instagram since the age of 13, now im 16 and wanted to change things. I tried many things, like putting a timer, deleting, etc. but nothing worked. so, as a final resolve, I deleted my Instagram account. my main problem was accessing Instagram through the pc when I deleted it from my phone, but now since there is no account, I cant cheat myself. I also added a minimalist browser, so I can wont be addicted to different apps other than Instagram . hope ill be able to get rid of this addiction now.

Lately, I’ve been making a conscious effort to reduce my digital distractions and embrace digital minimalism. It started with a simple decluttering—deleting apps I never use and installing Minimal Phone Launcher on my iPhone. Now, I’m trying to spend as little time on my phone as possible.

As a System Administrator, I spend my entire workday in front of a computer, and while waiting for account tickets, I focus on college assignments. But what I’ve noticed is that by minimizing my phone usage, I feel so much better when I get home. I’m no longer glued to another screen, and it’s refreshing to disconnect.

I know I can take this even further. One of my next steps is investing in an e-ink phone, which will help me stay connected when necessary without the endless distractions of a traditional smartphone.

This journey has already been eye-opening, and I’m excited to see where it leads. If you’ve experimented with digital minimalism, I’d love to hear your experiences!