The Art and Science of Mindful Technology Use

“There’s an app for that.”

I’m sure there is, but just because we CAN get an app for that, doesn’t automatically mean we SHOULD get an app for that.

In our ever increasing digital world, the line between personal and professional life continues to blur. This blurring of lines leads to increased stress, increased distraction, inevitable burnout. For social workers, technology can either be a tool for empowerment or a source of added and unnecessary chronic stress.

Let’s explore how we, as social workers, can embrace the philosophy of “digital minimalism” outlined by Cal Newport in his powerful book Digital Minimalism, to foster well-being, maintain focus, and ensure our technology serves us, rather than us serving the technology.

Embracing Intentional Technology Use

Newport defines “Digital Minimalism” as “A philosophy of technology use in which you focus your online time on a small number of carefully selected and optimized activities that strongly support things you value, and then happily miss out on everything else.”

In the field of social work, where boundaries and emotional health are crucial, this philosophy offers a way to reclaim control over technology in order to help prevent burnout.

Newport goes on, “Clutter is costly...too many devices, apps, and services creates an overall negative cost that can swamp the small benefit that each individual item provides in isolation.”

For us as social workers, digital clutter often comes in the form of constant notifications, multitasking with work emails, social media, and the blending of personal with professional time by using technology for non-work-related distractions during work hours. What’s the impact? Reduced focus, fragmented attention, a growing sense of stress, and ultimately less favorable outcomes for our clients.

Digital Boundaries

Pretty sure I’ve talked about boundaries in an article or two in the past. Our digital devices are no different. One of the key principles of digital minimalism is setting boundaries around our use of technology. Newport prescribes a “30-day digital declutter”, where we reduce the technology we use to the essentials, and reassess its role in our lives. This can be particularly powerful for social workers as it will force us to eliminate distractions and focus on the work tasks that matter most. (Imagine if an ad for the Pareto Principle incessantly interrupted everything we streamed instead of ads for drugs) By putting away unnecessary digital tools, we create more room for deep, focused work and personal self-care.

Clarity about what matters, provides clarity about what does not.

For social workers, this means prioritizing tools and technologies that directly support our work (possibilities include case management software or community wide referral dashboards) while limiting technology distractions like social media and/or videos.

"Tech-Free" Time

Newport promotes scheduling regular "tech-free" times in our day. We will benefit greatly from unplugging during breaks, meals, and after work hours. These breaks create the opportunity to recharge, connect with loved ones, and engage in non-digital activities like mindfulness, exercise, study, or hobbies.

We need to do fewer things, and do them better. When we eliminate the trivial from our lives, we maximize our potential to better perform the important things.

When we disconnect from technology during our downtime, we allow our minds/brains to recover and recalibrate. Mindful moments free from screen time will improve our emotional regulation, increase patience, and reduce burnout and agency churn.

Social Media Minimalist Usage

“But I can’t tune out of TikTok, Twitter, Facebook”...or whatever the hip platform is as of this writing.

My rebuttal, “You can”

Social media can be a powerful tool for staying connected. Unfortunately, social media’s superpower is creating comparison, anxiety, and distraction. Newport’s Digital Minimalism approach encourages intentional use of social media, rather than mindless scrolling. We apply this principle by consciously crafting and curating our social media feeds to reflect positive, educational, and uplifting content. Rather than passively consuming endless negative and useless information, we actively consume positive useful information.

One tactic to minimize time spent scrolling the socials is to set aside specific times for social media use (i.e once a day or for 15 minutes) and avoid browsing during working hours or personal downtime. Make it intentional. This creates a sense of urgency compelling us to find out whatever it is we feel we need to find out before time is up. Inevitably we realize that the usefulness of these platforms is anemic at best.

Creating a Tech-Minimalist Environment

Newport emphasizes the importance of creating an environment that supports digital minimalism. Just like if we want to avoid eating cookies, we don’t buy Chip Ahoy and put them in our pantry. So, this could mean:

Organizing our digital workspace: Clean up the digital desktops. Remove all unnecessary apps, and streamline our devices for what’s essential only. Turn push notifications off so you’re not constantly distracted by dings, beeps, boops, and popups.

Mindfully curate apps: Only keep apps on your phone or devices that directly support your personal and/or professional goals.

These small changes will significantly reduce the mental load and stress associated with digital overload, allowing us to maintain a healthier, more balanced relationship with our technology.

I’m not advocating for being a Luddite. Technology isn’t inherently harmful. It’s all about how we use it as a tool for good. By embracing digital minimalism, we will transform technology from a source of stress, to a tool that supports our well-being and professional effectiveness leading to the best outcomes our clients can expect from us.

By being mindful of how and when we use technology, we will reclaim control of our time, reduce burnout, and foster a healthier, more focused approach to both our work and personal lives.