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It took 19-year-old Shirley Nyawira, a student at Machakos University, to lose her phone to realise that almost her whole world revolved online. Her days and even nights revolved around TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp.

However, having her smartphone suddenly taken away from her tossed Nyawira into the real world, which made her realise how much of her time was snatched by the virtual world. “I never let my phone out of my sight. I had it with me even when eating. But spending weeks without it has made me realise how much I miss out without noticing, such as the beauty of personal conversations with friends, nature moments and sleeping before midnight,” claims Nyawira.

The promises of digital life are ever so inviting that we forget to appreciate the beautiful simple things in life. So how do we use technology without feeling used by it you may ask? Experts advise by applying digital minimalism. The term was coined by Cal Newport, a computer science professor, and author of Digital Minimalism. Cal says digital minimalism is the key to living a focused life in an increasingly noisy world. He observes how digital minimalism is a philosophy of technology in which you focus your online time on a few carefully selected activities that support the things you value. He is convinced that one needs 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.

Focus on apps that add value to you

“Our phones and apps are, by design, addictive attention-suckers. By filling our in-between time, such as commutes or in conversation pauses, or while waiting in line at the mall, with burying our faces in our phones, we lose the ability to be alone with our thoughts. No mental space equals limited creativity and minimal deep thinking. A lack of deep thinking equals limited personal growth. show anxiety and social media use go hand-in-hand,” Cal noted.

David Luutsa, a digital and data expert at Centrafique Consulting, concurs. To make an intentional choice to still use technology, he says it is important to optimise your tools to allow only those that work for you. “Accept that you can’t use all the apps available in the world. A digital minimalist is content with missing out on the things they know doesn’t add value to their lives,” he shares.

However, Luutsa shares how digital minimalism demands a deeper knowledge of your values to weigh the value of each digital tool. For instance, placing friendship on a pedestal, you can ask yourself what part of using Facebook or WhatsApp, for example, connects with your sense of friendship? He advocates for finding an offline alternative to feeding your friendship value, such as hanging out physically or attending physical networking events.

“At the end of the day, you find that social apps offer a disappearing timeline of trivial events instead of a meaningful body of work or closer friendships,” he says.

Luutsa says you can start small by dropping all optional technologies for at least a month. “To find the optional tech in your life, consider the tool, app or service optional unless its temporary removal would harm or significantly disrupt the daily operation of your professional or personal life,” says the digital expert.

Shut down triggers

Do you find yourself constantly postponing an important phone call to check for Twitter updates? Or sleep late as you watch TikTok videos, thus affecting your quality of sleep? Luutsa recommends turning off notifications on all digital platforms to reduce the chances of technology triggers. You could also unsubscribe to useless newsletters that no longer match your interests.

During this 30-day break, explore and rediscover activities and behaviours that you find satisfying and meaningful. Explore high-quality activities such as reading a book, going for walks with friends or a hobby you have neglected to fill your void time. “One of the reasons we rely heavily on digital technologies is that we have forgotten our hobbies. It’s easier to swipe than picking up a book physically or going for a dance class. Try reclaiming your free time for enjoyable analogue activities,” Luutsa advises.

At the end of the break, reintroduce optional technologies into your life, starting from a blank slate. For each technology you reintroduce, determine what value it serves in your life and how specifically you will use it to maximise this value.”It’s the care you take here that will determine whether this process sparks lasting change in your life. Reintroduced technology should support your values and aspirations, not overpower them. Maybe you have found Twitter updates distracting at work, but Pinterest offers great visual inspiration? Now, thanks to the digital decluttering process you know to mute Twitter during your nine-to-five and keep signed in to Pinterest when creativity strikes,” he observes.

However, Luutsa observes that it is not always easy to practice digital minimalism if you have spent years scrolling, swiping and tapping away. So, to foster your newfound digital freedom, have some alone time. “Solitude, both mental and physical, clears your mind and removes the Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) feeling,” he notes.

Luutsa says one should treat social media like a professional task – something you pursue as needed and nothing more. Try deleting some apps you don’t necessarily need for your phone.