Digital Detox Journal #1
Oh, irony of ironies
Inspired in part by my friend
and the excellent digital-skeptic (or even digital-apocalyptic) Substacks and , I am attempting a 30-day digital detox (I sort of wish there were a less…yuppie? word than detox, but that’s tertiary). I’m doing this for myself, and in particular my family. I hope something good comes of it. I hope also that future versions of this detox are even more minimalist, but for now I am starting small.Some guidelines:
My phone will remain largely bricked (text and call only, basically, and the former only at set points each day: 9:00 AM, 12:00 noon, and 7:00 PM). When driving, I will rely on whatever Neil Young CD is in my car’s CD player.
My laptop will remain in a cabinet unless I intend to take it with me to do some writing or job applications whilst out of the house—two things I will be spending at least 1 hour on daily, typically from my desktop PC.
Television and movies will only be watched on communal, appointment viewing (i.e., film or TV show planned ahead, with others) and when possible I’ll use physical media over streaming.
I will spend at least one-and-one-half hours a day reading some combination of fiction, nonfiction, and scripture.
I will seek at least 30 minutes of quiet solitude each day, ideally longer, and ideally without reading.
Key for this space: I will hand-write one page journal entries each day, and publish them essentially unedited on here the following day. I will still publish bi-weekly, longer-form pieces which I will likely compose digitally at least in part.
What follows is the first of these Daily Digital Detox Journals. I’m hoping the somewhat-stream-of-consciousness nature frees me up from my fear of publishing anything that isn’t fairly pristine. I’ll try and refrain from editing for anything other than spelling. Run-ons, clichés, malapropisms, fragments, etc. will remain as-is. I don’t anticipate these being profound, and given my arbitrary one-page limit, most of them will end somewhat abruptly.
06/03 | Miscellanea Digital Detox Journal 1
Attempting to extricate my self from omnipresent digital technology is a tall order. There is irony, hypocrisy, and frustration at every turn. I twitch like an addict. I compulsively reach for my wife’s phone even though I’ve intentionally left my own at home. I do okay in the morning, furiously cleaning but grow antsy as soon as I stop. I have an image of filling my new fountain pen, opening a beer, & reading Pynchon—but my infant daughter won’t sleep so I grow frustrated and get on my phone instead. this attempt at a digital cleanse feels pretty urgent. I’m not sure what I’m pining for—I sure like penicillin and air travel. If these things are inseparable maybe I prefer modernity.
But I do not prefer an internet hellscape full of radicalization, pornography, and pseudo-communities. Yet I love my group chats and the ability to video-call friends who live in other states. Rarely though do I avail myself of this opportunity.
Great way of sharing your 30-day detox (I'll try and come up with another less yuppie term....)! I experienced some surprising anxiety during my first couple of days - any I don't even own a cell phone- but restricting myself from computer use for the entire day (apart for a slice of time before breakfast) was extremely challenging. The anxious/antsy feelings however, was also an indication to me that I was doing something right. I was literally flushing my body of the addiction and started to gain more restful feelings after a few days. All this to say, the struggles are a reflection of the entanglement, and thus experiencing them is ultimately helpful. Persist, remain committed yet forgiving. All the best:)
phone = bricked up