Digital Minimalism was coined by Cal Newport; he even wrote a book on it. A book I have to admit I haven’t read yet. I have heard him on a few podcasts talking about the concept and the book itself though. Regardless of where the term comes from it’s a fairly obvious concept; it’s just applying minimalist practices to your digital life.
I have always found that when it comes to changing my habits it’s best to completely abstain from the activity altogether. I deleted my facebook, Instagram, and twitter for a year; it was amazing! This was probably due to being less distracted and not engaging in social comparison.
I would have continued this practice if these platforms weren’t beneficial for the organizing work I currently do. But this break has allowed me to realize these platforms for the things that add joy or utility to my life. Facebook & Twitter are great for keeping up to date with the organizations doing work that I care about. I also found some amazing vegan meal services on Facebook! I honestly mostly use Instagram for memes at this point, but it’s also great for staying up to date with a lot of student organizations on campus.
What I’ve realized is that I’m allowed to pick and choose who to follow, who is allowed to follow me, etc. This is my space. It’s very rare for me to follow someone I personally know at this point! I was tired of looking through everyone’s perfectly curated posts, if I’m going to connect with someone on a personal level I’ll do it in person where I actually get the chemical benefits of sociality.