I find it a bit weird how people that talk about it, do so on social media, the thing they report to try to cut off. I’m not condemning them, but I wonder how much of this social media addiction is related to other things one can’t really control all that well.
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This!
I did my work in a digital world, so I try not to do digital minimalism, but to minimize digital social media. Hardly anything in the world escalates disputes faster than (exclusive) contact via Messenger.
I don’t know what is minimalism these days when you have everything online. I deleted Meta accounts and Twitter years ago but I still use Fedi and Discord so I guess I am still addicted.
I don’t usually buy the latest new things or follow trends. I don’t have any smart devices in my home and even my TV is from 09 .
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I frankly find it very misleading to call yourself addicted, considering the norm nowadays is to have some sort of social media account/instant messaging account. It’s very weird if you don’t, it seems. I’ve noticed back in high school when everybody was trying to get to me on Whatsapp.
I have zero except for EOS and obviously google if one has an Android phone. But it’s mainly a phone not used for much else.
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I can imagine that it’s easier for my age group, because all these platforms came when I was over 20.
+1 for no social media at all here - this forum is probably the closest thing to it that I use at all 
I have never used them and I think I’m likely a much happier person for it. The only, only exception to this is that I have an Instagram account for one very specific reason - many tattoo artists in the last decade or so use only Instagram to promote themselves and, more irritatingly, insist on arranging appointments through Instagram DMs.
The account doesn’t have any identifying factors that can tie it to me, has never posted, follows nothing and is only ever logged in to or even looked at when I need to set up an appointment with a specific artist who isn’t available by e-mail or phonecall.
I have still somehow ended up with all kinds of bots messaging me and trying to add me, which really just goes to show how rampant an issue that is with these kind of platforms.
I will never understand the need it seems that almost everyone feels to broadcast absolutely everything about themselves and their lives to the entire internet at all times while simultaneously scrolling endlessly through feeds of other people doing the exact same thing in return. There are much more interesting things to do with your time!
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Apparently he knew this thread was coming out today.
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This is me with WhatsApp. In my country, WhatsApp is the app companies, landlords, etc. want to use for communication. It. Is. INFURIATING. 
I told my friends and family I will be removing WhatsApp by the end of the year, but in truth, I will just be removing all my saved contacts from it. Unfortunately, I will still need it for some business-related communication.
Thank Google for Android profiles. 
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First time I’ve heard the phrase digital minimalism in this context. At first I though this was about terminal only based systems.
In terms of electronic devices I use them a lot for research, or art (Most of which is in Pencil) and listening to music and other things so a lot of my usage other than the small amount of games I play is mostly productive, for me a computer is still a tool for information. I never even had a mobile phone until I was 21 years old and still only use my mobile to pretty much send messages frequently to 1 person, sometimes message another, and only make call once a week for a family member. Not entirely surprising though, throughout my childhood years I would spend a lot of time bare foot in the garden in all weathers (Except snow) digging holes, playing with water or something by myself but in terms of tech it started from my brothers Windows XP PC since 2004 when I was 6 years old, and I used to use portable game devices like the Original Gameboy.
For me I’m quite lucky to have next to zero social media, I was never really interested in social media despite everyone using them when I was at school, I sometimes come close due to friends but something inside me always forced me away and felt uncomfortable making accounts on them, even if it was mostly down to disliking the idea of people always being able to reach or disturb me any time they wanted, and always expecting responses quickly.
So I never had any accounts on facebook, whatsapp, twitter, myspace, instagram, tiktok or whatever else there is now. I was always put off by them and seemed like most people were just reading junk in their feeds and wasting time doing nothing especially with AI generated content, it’s also no secret that services like Facebook eventually trap you in to your own bubble so you end up only seeing content that agree with you or match you or shares misinformation.
The only large social media I have become victim to is YouTube like most of us although I don’t comment at all on it.
Too be honest Endeavour Forum is really the only place I have commented on in general, and even frequently. I feel the community here you can have actual discussions, but people here are actually helpful and friendly and seem to be more open minded than a large amount of the internet. What it has shown me is maybe in general I need to find other small forums relating to my interests, much like the old days. At least for me I’m glad that as a child, whether a social issue or not, I never got hooked in to these social sites and never had the chance to stupidly post photos on them or post lots of personal information or anything like that, I feel a lot happier and confident in myself after seeing what these sites can do to others and managing to avoid them, not to look down on those trapped though.
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This is a good channel. I’ve seen a few of his videos and subscribed. It’s interesting, and shocking, in general how much infrastructure is compromised by either governments or large technology companies. Really it’s impossible to avoid, and is now just a game of minimising as much as possible.
Also reminds me of a recent article I read regarding the French police deciding they want to keep AI recording after originally meant to be temporary for the Olympics. I won’t go too political with this (I hate politics anyway and avoid it) but like always you let them have something and they will never reverse or give it back.
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21st century method of socializing, I guess.
I use Whatsapp to chat with friends and family. I don’t know why they use Whatsapp, but I can only guess because everybody around them also does. Telegram is mostly used here for porn, it seems.
I personally also didn’t really get into social media as much as others and when I did, the accounts were ultimately abandoned and eventually deleted. I have an Instagram account and Facebook account only for funnies among me and a mate. It has no ties to me and it has a stupid name too.
I have a Discord, mostly because many communities I’m in have a server, a YouTube account and channel that is mostly abandoned and only served to provide easy video sharing for my blog, a Whatsapp account because everybody here seems to use that for instant messaging and a reddit account I use when I’m bored of watching YouTube videos on my phone.
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Yeah, I’m not trying to use Telegram at all anymore.
Some years back, I originally got a friend group to consider switching, and they ultimately didn’t, but now with all that’s happened, I’m only trying to get people to switch to Signal or a Matrix client.
Alternatives like Threema, Wire, SimpleX Chat, etc. would be way too far out of their comfort zone. Matrix is too, but the versatility of the service (instant messenger, community chat, etc.) and the reasonably good clients (for both mobile devices and desktops) make it fully worth it in my opinion.
A good definition of what addiction is here, has a small point on computers.
- Computers — computer addiction is increasing. You may spend hours each day and night surfing the internet or playing games. You may neglect other aspects of your life due to sleep deprivation or misplaced priorities.
Oh cool, I don’t, even though I do spend a lot of time playing games and being online.
Yer as long as its not affecting others areas of your life it’s not an addiction. I spend a lot of time online and on the pc too but not sonething i would say I’m addicted too as I can spends months away doing other things when I need too.
When I first saw this post, I wasn’t sure what “Digital Minimalism” was. After reading through this thread, and searching the term on Google, it seems this might be an apt definition…
“Digital minimalism is a philosophy that helps you question what digital communication tools (and behaviors surrounding these tools) add the most value to your life. It is motivated by the belief that intentionally and aggressively clearing away low-value digital noise, and optimizing your use of the tools that really matter, can significantly improve your life.”
So, if that definition is indeed what we’re talking about here (digital communication tools), I’m not a digital minimalist at all. I spend much of my online time here on this forum. But I also enjoy Reddit, Facebook, and Discord. From time to time, I also enjoy Instagram and X. I never looked at the use of these social media communication tools as evil or detrimental to one’s life. The social media sites/apps themselves aren’t the problem, it’s how one uses them. Facebook is what YOU make it. Reddit is what YOU make it.
The last part of that definition, "…intentionally and aggressively clearing away low-value digital noise, and optimizing your use of the tools that really matter, can significantly improve your life” is exactly what I do. While I do spend a decent amount of time on the aforementioned sites/apps, I make them mine. They don’t rule me, I rule them.
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No TV. No social media. Minimal email, minimal chat apps, I prefer my life to be peaceful with communications and engagement with the world on my terms. A quiet corner with a book, days spent mostly outside, I am old(er) and happiest when away from people and crowds, loud places, and the cacophony of technology.
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My nephew came to stay with me a few months back, he spun out that not only don’t I have a smart TV but I also haven’t watched TV in about 4 or 5 years now. He trips out I don’t use social media on my phone either at all and on the PC very minimal use.
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