Digital Minimalism vs Minimalism

I'm a minimalist, not to a cult like level where I live out of one small bag and have entirely empty rooms in my house.

I'm practical about it, I have the stuff I need and try to keep excess to a minimum.

One area I feel i have succeeded is my smart phone. I use an iPhone 15 Pro.

This device is multi use for me, it is

• A phone / messaging device
• A sat nav
• A camera
• A quick note taking device
• A torch
• A calendar
• An alarm clock
• An audio recorder
• An online bank
• An ebook reader
• A music player / audiobook device

It is amazing such a small device can do so many things.

I am conflicted, as this means I spend time considerable time on my phone, not doom scrolling on social media, but actually doing things I deem useful.

I don't have a social media accounts, so my phone is considered very useful.

If I look at digital minimalism as a concept then I believe I should seperate all the above points out in to their own devices. I understand that the aim of digital minimalism to is reduce dependancy of technology and be more present. If I do that then it's not very minimalist.

Any type of minimalism is subjective and very personal, what one person considers minimalistic is different to another. It is about what is important and what adds value to your life.

With anything like this I consider there must be some baseline standards. To be a minimalist is to own less material items, and gain more time to spend on experiences. To be a digital minimalist is to get off your devices and be more present in the world around, therefore being able to experience life.

Both approaches to life have similar goals, but is it possible to achieve both?

I want to say yes.

I have one device that I use for many things. I have specifically made a choice many years ago to not become part of the social media revolution. Many people I see starting a journey with digital minimalism have issues with social media and really want to break the addiction. This is all focussed on the demonised smart phone.

We should consider self discipline.

It takes a lot of self discipline to break any perceived negative habit or addiction.

Getting rid of a device like a smart phone is extremely difficult in these times. It makes life harder not having one.

That doesn't mean you can't live a life where technology dictates your every movement.

Being intentional with your actions and how you use technology is the key to being free of the dependancy.

Is it considered too technology heavy or dependant to use my smartphone for everything, thus not needing to buy multiple devices.

Most things on my list above would require another digital device (technology) to replace it, the exceptions being, I could use a pen and paper to take notes, I could buy a torch and I could read an actual book, but in practically speaking, the times when I need to take notes, use a torch, or read a book are the times when I don't hve the analogue forms to hand, however I do always carry my iPhone.

Photographers say the best camera you have is the one you have with with you, for me that is my iPhone.