March 5, 2026, Commentary by Brenan Hornseth

I am a recovering technology addict. Though I have a degree in Computer Science, last year I was on a self-improvement kick, and one of the books I picked up and read was “Digital Minimalism” by Cal Newport. Before reading that book, I thought my technology usage was under control and certainly not a problem. However, I was soon faced with reality while attempting to perform a simple “digital detox,” as recommended in the book, and I found myself going through anxious, withdrawal-like symptoms.

Part 1: My Digital Minimalism Awakening

I had, perhaps subconsciously, realized for some time that my technology use stemmed from addiction, which led me to pick up the book, but I had not realized how much of a problem it had become.

This Op-Ed was originally supposed to just be a book review, but in the past year, I’ve had time to attempt to integrate what I learned into my life, and also from readings beyond just “Digital Minimalism.” At first, I was hesitant about how to approach this topic with the general public beyond just my close friends; however, recently, a few events have made me want to reach out to a broader community. I think it’s time to have a conversation about technology because unless we all decide to change things, it’s too easy slip right back into familiar routines of technology overuse and addiction.

Around the time I read “Digital Minimalism,” my spouse had also read the book “Dopamine Nation,” and we compared notes on these similar, yet different sides of the coin in their approach to identifying what is happening to our brains in this modern age. More than ever, we are continually bombarded with distractions and technological interactions that are, by design, addicting and fill all of our free time. Boredom is now a thing of the past – technology is constantly offering up the next distraction instead of leaving us to confront and process what we are experiencing. This continual distraction is actually rewiring our brains, leading to less meaningful community interaction and greater isolation and loneliness, despite being more “connected” than any generation before us.

This was a brief intro. The next article in this 4-part series covers some of the consequences of screens on the upcoming generations.