하루라도 스마트폰 없이 지내라고 하면 우리는 금단 증상을 느낄 게 분명하다. 손안에 쏙 들어온 스마트폰은 이제 우리 뇌까지 점령하고 있으며, 우리를 항상 연결 상태로 만들어주는 인터넷은 충동적인 접촉과 연락의 생태계를 만들어내고 있다.

시도 때도 없이 울리는 알림음과 무한으로 연결되어 있는 온라인 세상과 정보들에 휩싸여 정작 몰입해야 하는 것에 시간을 투자할 수 없고, 우리로 하여금 늘 만성피로에 시달리게 한다.《딥 워크》의 저자이자 컴퓨터공학자인 칼 뉴포트는 우리를 좀먹고 있는 디지털 과잉 환경에서 우리가 기술과 맺은 관계를 근본적으로 바꾸어야 한다고 말한다. 그리고 그 방법으로 ‘디지털 미니멀리즘’을 제시한다.

뉴포트는 농부부터 실리콘 밸리의 프로그래머까지 수많은 디지털 미니멀리스트들이 어떻게 소셜 미디어와 맺은 관계를 재고하고, 오프라인 세계의 즐거움을 재발견하며, 고독에 잠기는 시간을 통해 자신의 내면과 재회하는지 다양한 사례를 통해 보여준다. 뒤이어 그는 수많은 사람들이 기술에 압도당하지 않고 생활에 대한 통제권을 되찾도록 도와준 30일간의 ‘디지털 정돈’ 과정과 함께 이를 삶에 적용할 수 있는 전략들을 구체적인 실천지침들을 제시해준다.

A New York Times bestseller!

"Newport is making a bid to be the Marie Kondo of technology: someone with an actual plan for helping you realize the digital pursuits that do, and don't, bring value to your life."--Ezra Klein, Vox

Minimalism is the art of knowing how much is just enough. Digital minimalism applies this idea to our personal technology. It's the key to living a focused life in an increasingly noisy world.

In this timely and enlightening book, the bestselling author of Deep Work introduces a philosophy for technology use that has already improved countless lives.

Digital minimalists are all around us. They're the calm, happy people who can hold long conversations without furtive glances at their phones. They can get lost in a good book, a woodworking project, or a leisurely morning run. They can have fun with friends and family without the obsessive urge to document the experience. They stay informed about the news of the day, but don't feel overwhelmed by it. They don't experience "fear of missing out" because they already know which activities provide them meaning and satisfaction.

Now, Newport gives us a name for this quiet movement, and makes a persuasive case for its urgency in our tech-saturated world. Common sense tips, like turning off notifications, or occasional rituals like observing a digital sabbath, don't go far enough in helping us take back control of our technological lives, and attempts to unplug completely are complicated by the demands of family, friends and work. What we need instead is a thoughtful method to decide what tools to use, for what purposes, and under what conditions.

Drawing on a diverse array of real-life examples, from Amish farmers to harried parents to Silicon Valley programmers, Newport identifies the common practices of digital minimalists and the ideas that underpin them. He shows how digital minimalists are rethinking their relationship to social media, rediscovering the pleasures of the offline world, and reconnecting with their inner selves through regular periods of solitude. He then shares strategies for integrating these practices into your life, starting with a thirty-day "digital declutter" process that has already helped thousands feel less overwhelmed and more in control.

Technology is intrinsically neither good nor bad. The key is using it to support your goals and values, rather than letting it use you. This book shows the way.