[Digital End-of-Life Planning] Smartphone addiction is a "disease." A former Google employee sounds the alarm on the terrifying tactics of "brain-hacking IT companies."

Hello everyone! I am Bunsho, a writer who shares the latest information from overseas.

This may be sudden, but how much time do you spend looking at your smartphone screen each day?

Checking social media first thing when you wake up, worrying about notifications while at work, and watching videos until right before you go to sleep at night... If even one of these applies to you, you might be having your brain hacked by "someone" without even realizing it.

As someone whose job requires me to constantly keep an eye on the latest information from abroad, my smartphone was an inseparable partner.

However, at some point, that relationship reversed, and I fell into the feeling that I wasn't using my smartphone, but rather that my smartphone was using me.

When I felt a vague sense of anxiety that "this can't go on," I encountered a book.

That book is "Digital Minimalism" by Cal Newport, an associate professor at Georgetown University and a bestselling author.

I still cannot forget the shock of reading this book. It confronted me with the terrifying reality of how the technology we believe is "convenient" skillfully steals our attention, wastes our time, and makes us unhappy.

I dedicate this article to you, who, like my former self, are constantly chased by smartphone notifications and feel like you "have no time for yourself" or are "always feeling tired."

By reading this article, you will understand the true cause of the stress you are feeling, and you will learn concrete methods to escape the clever traps set by giant IT companies and regain your time and focus.

References: Cal Newport "Digital Minimalism," Tristan Harris "Time Well Spent" movement

▷ Why can't you stop touching your smartphone?

▶ The "magic of the slot machine" used by IT companies

Why do you endlessly scroll through your social media timeline?

Cal Newport points out that the answer lies in the casinos of Las Vegas.

Tristan Harris, a former design ethicist at Google, blew the whistle on how IT companies keep users glued to their apps.

According to him, the "pull-to-refresh" feature on social media was inspired by the lever of a slot machine.

Every time you pull the lever (swipe the screen), you might get new information (a win), or you might get nothing at all (a loss).

This reward system, known as "intermittent reinforcement," stimulates the brain's dopamine circuits and binds us to an addictive sense of anticipation, wondering, "What will come up next?"

It is not that your willpower is weak. The world's top minds are designing these systems to intentionally make you addicted.

▶ Who is the proponent Cal Newport?

Here, let's take a deeper look at Cal Newport, who makes this sharp observation.

He is a computer science expert who earned his PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In other words, he is someone who understands the power of technology better than anyone else.

The fact that someone like him is sounding the alarm on how we interact with modern technology is of the utmost importance.

He is not rejecting technology itself. What he views as a problem is our "passive relationship" with technology that is designed not to enrich our lives, but simply to steal our attention.

His arguments carry overwhelming persuasive power precisely because he is an expert who knows technology inside and out.

▷ Free your brain with a "Digital Declutter"

▶ The courage to discard everything that is "convenient to have"

The solution proposed by Mr. Newport is simple yet radical. It is a "30-day Digital Declutter."

This is an attempt to completely cut off all technology that is not essential to your life (social media, online news, video streaming services, etc.) for 30 days.

The goal is to rediscover "what is truly valuable to me" while in a state completely freed from digital noise.

After 30 days, you will examine each piece of technology one by one and redesign what you keep in your digital life based on strict criteria: "Does this technology contribute deeply to my values?" and "What is the optimal way to use it to gain that value?"

This is like resetting all your items in the game of life and choosing only the equipment you truly need.

▶ "Solitude" is the ultimate luxury

Mr. Newport says that the greatest reward gained from a digital declutter is reclaiming "high-quality solitude."

Whenever we have a spare moment, we immediately reach for our smartphones, trying to fill the void with "connection to others." However, time spent facing yourself and thinking deeply is essential for creativity and self-awareness.

Escape the life of being swayed by the number of "likes" from others and listen to your inner voice. Reclaiming this quiet, luxurious time is the ultimate goal of digital minimalism.

▷ Summary: Are you the "master" or the "slave" of technology?

▶ The exploitation of attention: It's not just a matter of "missing out if you don't know"

In exchange for using "free" services, we are handing over our most valuable resource—our "attention"—to IT companies.

Continuing to use technology defenselessly without understanding this structure leads to an immeasurable "loss" that steals your time, lowers your productivity, and wears down your spirit.

▶ To those of you struggling with daily frustrations and conflicts

If you are troubled by a constant sense of being chased by something or an inexplicable feeling of fatigue, the cause might just be in your pocket.

Starting a 30-day digital decluttering might be a high hurdle to jump. First, try starting with small rules, such as not bringing your smartphone into the bedroom or not touching your phone while eating.

Instead of letting technology control your life, master technology for your own purposes. Reclaiming that agency should be the first step toward living happily in an age of information overload.

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What is the first app you want to "digitally declutter"?

Please let me know in the comments. Look forward to the next article!