Digital Minimalism in Practice

The notifications stopped. Not because I turned them off, but because I realized they were never for me.

The Illusion of Connection

Every ping, every badge, every red dot—designed by teams of engineers to exploit dopamine pathways. We call it “staying connected,” but connection requires presence, not compulsion.

What I Removed

• Social media apps (kept the browsers, deleted the dopamine loops)
• Email from my phone (it can wait)
• News aggregators (curated sources instead)
• Slack after 6 PM

What I Gained

Time. Not clock time, but the deep, uninterrupted kind where thoughts can actually form.

The paradox: by disconnecting from the digital social graph, I became more connected to the people who matter.