Scott S J - 10-Minute Digital Declutter: The Simple Habit to Eliminate Technology Overload

Once upon a time, families sat down at a table for dinner in the evening and talked about their day as they ate.

After dinner, children did homework using a pencil and paper, often looking up facts in a collection of hardbound books called encyclopedias. Meanwhile, Mom and Dad would read a printed newspaper or gather around the radio to listen to the news or a comedy show. Sometimes the family would play a game, take a walk, or simply share a fun activity together.

If they needed to communicate with someone outside the home, they would write a letter, meet somewhere, or make a phone call from the single household phone.

No one was texting, sexting, emailing, surfing, gaming, downloading, bookmarking, blogging, or podcasting. They werent watching TV, streaming video, or hopping from one YouTube video to the next. There was no Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, or LinkedIn. In fact, the only form of instant communication was shouting to others in the next room.

In the last twenty-five years, we have drastically changed how we socialize, spend our time, do our work, and entertain ourselves. According to the Pew Research Center , today, eight in ten US adults (81 percent) say they use laptop and desktop computers at home, work, school, and everywhere in between. Meanwhile, 90 percent of US adults have a cell phone, and two-thirds of those adults use their phones to go online.

In a relatively short amount of time, the Internet has shifted from an occasional tool to the primary way we work, communicate, and entertain ourselves. Recent research reveals that the average time spent per week on email, text, and social media is about 23 hours .

Although the amount of time spent online continues to grow, 62 percent of the respondents to the research survey stated they want to decrease the amount of time spent online in favor of more face-to-face interactions . Unfortunately, their actions contradict their desire to disconnect.

It appears were obsessed with technology, and its impacting every aspect of how we live our lives. We have become such slaves to the gadgets that were supposed to simplify our lives. These days, we prefer the quick fix of instant information and low-quality entertainment over real-world interactions and experiences.

Just pull back the curtain on the new dinnertime ritual and you will see that every member of the family is engrossed in their smartphone or tablet, checking email, texting, or playing a game in between forkfuls of food.

Teenagers would rather chat by text or Snapchat than meet up in person. Theyre too busy taking selfies to coordinate togetherness. Children can look up any homework question online and get the answer in seconds without using much brain power. After dinner, family members often go to their separate rooms to spend time with their preferred electronic devices.

Nowadays, we keep digital devices by our beds, take them to the bathroom, and have them within fingers reach throughout the day.

According to Moores Law (named after Gordon E. Moore, the co-founder of Intel), the number of transistors per square inch on integrated circuits doubled every year since the integrated circuit was invented, and he predicted this trend would continue for the foreseeable future. The pace slowed down a bit in later years, but data density has doubled approximately every eighteen months, which is the current definition of Moores Law.

That said, its important to recognize that technology has given countless advantages to our modern lives.

Both Steve and Barrie (the authors of this book) rely heavily on digital technology to run their online businesses. They owe most of their lifestyle freedom to the opportunities that come from computers and similar devices.

However, they also recognize the need for balance in their lives. Digital devices are convenient, but they can also have negative effects on your time and energy.

From inboxes congested with years worth of emails to thousands of unused computer files, your digital clutter can grow like untended weeds in a garden. These items can have a similar negative impact on your life, similar to physical clutter in your home. When youre buried under hundreds of old files, youll often experience feelings of overwhelm, anxiety, and confusion.