A Minimalist Approach to Technology

A Minimalist Approach to Technology Our tools are only as good (or bad) as the person using them. A chainsaw can cut down a rotting backyard tree, preventing it from impaling a neighbors house. Or, that same chainsaw can be used to hurt our neighbor, to chop him up into tiny pieces. A can of paint can beautify a homes facade. Or, one might use it to graffiti the walls at an otherwise pristine public park. The same goes for technology. We can use Twitter and Pinterest and YouTube to enrich our lives and the lives of others, to communicate and share in ways weve never been able to communicate before. Or we can get stuck in social medias Bermuda Triangle, careening from Facebook to Instagram to Snapchat, lost in the meaningless glow of our screens. We can use our smartphones to photograph gorgeous landscapes, message loved ones, or map out directions to a distant national park (orâ€"gasp!â€"to make phone calls). Or, we can use that same device to Twitch: to incessantly check email, thumb through an endless stream of status updates, post vapid selfies, or partake in any other number of non-value-adding activities, all while ignoring the beautiful world around us. Bottom line: It is up to us to determine how we use our chainsaws, paint cans, and technology. Our tools are just tools, and it is our responsibility to ask important questions about how and why we use them. Because to become a Luddite is to avoid an entire world of possibilities, a better world thats enriched by the tools of technology. If used intentionally, we can change the world with these  tools. Or, we can do a lot of harm. Its an individual choice, the world is at our fingertips, and its up to us to act accordingly. Read this essay and 150 others in our book, Essential. You May Also Enjoy How to Start a Successful Blog Today Learn how to start a blog in less than an hour. Follow the step-by-step instructions we used when starting our blog, which now has reached more than 20 million people. Creating this blog is one of the best decisions Ryan and I ever made. After all, our blog is how we earn a living. More important, it's how we add value to other people's lives. Read more 30-Day Minimalism Game Let's play a simple game together. We call it the 30-Day Minimalism Game. Find a friend, family member, or coworker who's willing to minimize their stuff with you next month. Read more 11 Ways to Write Better We are all writers now. Whether you write books, blog posts, emails, Instagram captions, or text messages, you are a writer. No matter your preferred medium, here are a few tips to help you write more effectively. Read more Subscribe to The Minimalists via email.