This book is an apt follow up to Deep Work, which contained several sections directly addressing the harmful/productivity-zapping nature of digital clutter.
First the book ensures the reader has a the correct interpretation of minimalism. Minimalism is not about getting rid of everything you own to make due with less - it is about having a better life by realizing that many of those things actually have negative value.
Cal Newport wrote a brief summary of some of the key points of Henry David Thoreau's Walden, in which Thoreau lays out a philosophical economic argument that our valuation of economics in terms of money is too simplistic. Economic opportunities should be evaluated only based on the money you stand to gain or lose, but also on the amount of life.
Do not reject all technology. Mini, to most, of them have selected pieces of technology that have been carefully chosen to uphold their values and provide them with more value. They do not own a car because the cost of owning a car outweigh the benefit of owning a car in their eyes. Costs like always running to the store instead of using their local shop.
The author suggests going through a digital decluttering. This is the primary argument of the book.
It starts with a 30 day digital detox in which the objective is to reset your baseline of expectations of relationships with the apps services and technologies that you use. These 30 days do not have to be ones lived in a cave. Instead, you should only keep those things that are absolutely vital. Horton to keep in mind the role of the detox is not to provide you a temporarily relief from the overwhelming onslaught of technology and notifications on your attention and time, but to reset expectations, and set you up for a permanent change to be made after this period.
After this 30 day period, your mind it should be free and clear to then begin re-introducing technology in an intentional way. For each piece of tech, ask which of my core values is this technology serving and how? If it does not serve your core value, and instead provide some small amount of value, consider doing away with it all together. If it remains, come up with a list of standard operating procedures. “I will use Reddit only when...”. Think of replacement habits.