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Minimalism

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Ryan, I’ve been an admirer of yours for a long time, and I also have espoused the “get less connected” ideas. The only problem is, you’re ignoring two groups with advice like this:

1. People like me, who organize events and rely on social media both to help my clients and my own work get out there. I’ve deleted social media on my phone many times…and yes, it actually is annoying to have to try and fire up one of seven twitter accounts in my browser to make a new post, or respond to something (remember, social media: engagement is key). I’m sure that if you are someone who is annoyed by the amount of time it takes to position a phone correctly when getting on an airplane, you can appreciate that kind of built-in inneficiency. I have yet to see anyone who writes an article like this (or book) address it to someone who actually works in marketing or social media. It’s not time wasting, it’s my job — and yet it does still have interruptions.
2. People who live in places where they are a marginalized group, and their phone — and social media — are literally a lifeline to feel connected with people who are supported, empathetic, and caring. You and I are cis white males, so we pretty much live in a world designed for us to be comfortable in. Not your fault, not my fault. But for the solitary Wiccan queer non-binary person living in a suburb of Omaha? Having those apps on the phone, and engaging with them, may be what give them the ability to survive that kind of isolation.

Again: I admire your work. I think this is a great article with a lot of sound advice (I regularly take “Simple Times of Peace” to get a break from tech, and I bought a record player just so I wouldn’t use my phone to listen to music). I just wish that you, along with many other prominent writers in the field, would broaden your perspective to include strategies for those who don’t necessarily have as many luxuries of disconnect as you do.