Modern technology has changed humans’ lives for the better, since connecting with people across the globe got that much easier, and learning new skills from people outside your state/country got easier thanks to Youtube, Linkedin learning, and many more online learning platforms. However, people spend more time on screens, whether they’re at work or whether they’re at home, which means they’ve been getting SIGNIFICANTLY less productive, that’s one of modern technology’s side effects. It’s definitely NOT in humans’ favor. That’s where digital minimalism comes in.
You might be wondering what digital minimalism is, and you’re not the only one.Digital minimalism applies the philosophy of minimalism to technology. Minimalism goes for owning only what’s important, using remaining objects in smart ways, and being able to do more. Digital minimalism goes for reevaluating our relationships and interactions with technology,in order to become the best versions of ourselves. Minimalism is also FREEDOM, be it from financial worry, time wasting activities, and fear of loss. When you build a business, you’re creating MORE freedom, by creating a system that gives you the following: finances, purpose,independence,and the ability to live free of oppression of someone else’s bottom line.
As you read this, you’re probably asking yourself HOW you could amplify that. That makes sense. You can start off by embracing a minimalist approach to management, and yes, there ARE things you can do, here they are:
Make it a part of your marketing- Any good marketer/company with a great marketing strategy knows the human brain can only take THAT much information all at once. There’s careful designing and engineering involved when structuring a message, in order for it to meet the levels determined, and thus, doesn’t burden your customer’s senses. For example, Apple’s executives pointed this out, and their design is minimalistic, leaving very firm impressions on the consumers.
Try a minimalist approach to management- management seems like the no.1 enemy of minimalism,because management involves scheduling, syncing calendars, and staying on top of requirements. However, there’s a variety of things you can do to manage a minimalist mindset, like streamlining your services, using systems, and leading with your mind instead of leading with your time. The more streamlined your services, the less you’ll have to manage. Using systems goes for working with a few systems in place, since this could drastically reduce mental workload involved in management, by creating a correspondent system. The greatest way to achieve minimalist success is to reduce your responsibilities by allocating them to skilled team members. Creating a list of tasks you can outsource can help as well. It can teach you about yourself and your business.
Try a minimalist approach regarding design- People have been becoming more and more aware of a website’s/products usability. Visual complexity often tends to affect a user’s perception in less than 50 milliseconds of exposure. In addition, unnecessary animations and flash intros sabotages a user’s experience. When unnecessary components are removed, one can ensure a user’s experience is less stressful, and thus, more engaging.
Meanwhile, some claim that minimalism has some serious disadvantages.First off, it encourages us to become complacent, since some claim that one of minimalism’s core principles is DOING less, or finding satisfaction with what you have, with even less. Second of all, ‘minimalist’ services like AirBnB and ZipCar take massive consumptions to the next level, because their properties are continually and continuously replaced.
There are various controversies regarding digital minimalism, particularly when amplified in business, since this philosophy is very new. Nevertheless, it can be scrutinized thoroughly in order to fit YOUR company.