I have never really given digital minimalism much thought, aside from deleting a few unused apps here and there when my phone starts running out of space. But now that I think about it, living a clutter-free digital life actually sounds like a good idea—though I know some parts of it would be easier to do than others.
If I were to start, the first thing i would do is delete unused apps and files on my phone. I still have so many of them just sitting there, taking up space for no reason. Some of these apps I downloaded out of curiosity, used once or twice, and then completely forgot about. Others are just there because I thought I might need them someday, but let’s be honest—I never do. And then there are all these random files: old photos, PDFs, memes, and videos that I don’t even remember saving. I’ve actually thought about doing a full clean-up before, but I just haven’t gotten around to it. Maybe I’ve been procrastinating, or maybe I’ve just gotten too comfortable with all the digital clutter.
The next step would be deleting unnecessary emails. Now, this one would be really easy for me. I barely check my email unless I get an important message, so I wouldn’t even miss anything. My inbox is probably filled with all sorts of junk—promotional emails I never subscribed to, newsletters I don’t remember signing up for, and random notifications from apps I don’t even use. Cleaning that up would be quick and very easy, and I wouldn’t have to think twice about it.
But when it comes to limiting my social media scrolling? That’s where it gets tricky. I can confidently say that reducing the time I spend on Instagram or even WhatsApp wouldn’t be too difficult. I don’t spend much time on them, and I mostly just check in to see what’s new. But TikTok? Now, that’s another story. The app is way too addictive. I open it just to watch one or two videos, and before I know it, an hour has passed. I keep telling myself, “Just one more video,” but the app knows me too well—it keeps showing me content I can’t resist. I know limiting the time i spend on scrolling through social media would be a good thing, but actually doing it? That would take some serious discipline.
So, while the idea of digital minimalism sounds great, I really do think it would be a process for me. Some things, like deleting unused apps and emails, would be easy. But other things, like reducing my time on social media, would be a real challenge. I don’t think I’d ever go completely minimalist with my digital life, but making small changes here and there wouldn’t be a bad idea. Maybe I’ll start with the easy stuff and see where it takes me.