What is digital balance anyway?

Hey there! 👋

It's been a minute since the last letter, hasn't it? I decided to take summer off to figure out what to do with Bored Horse, and my online presence overall. Then I heard about the Punkt Digital Balance Challenge, and I just had to do it, so here we are.

→ Read more about my partipation in the Punkt Digital Balance Challenge

I'm focusing a lot on smartphones in my take on the challenge. As stated in my post linked above, I aim to not use my iPhone as much as possible, but I won't get away from it completely. That's fine, this isn't a quit tech challenge, it's about balance.

What is digital balance anyway?

I've been thinking a lot about digital balance for quite some time, as regular readers might recall. A lot of the things I do for work and leisure is deep in the digital world.

• I use various computers (MacBooks, iPads) for work, designing and developing.
• I play video games on a gaming PCs, as well as on my iPad.
• I watch movies, shows, and youtubers on various screens.
• I read books primarily on my iPad or iPhone.
• I read news and magazines on my iPad.
• I listen to music streamed from a device connected to a screen in some fashion.

That's a lot of digital things right there. That's okay, some are inherently digital and there's nothing to do about that. The problem, and where the whole balance thing comes in, is the lack of non-digital alternatives, as well as the fact that other digital things will take time from digital things done with or for a purpose. Doomscrolling comes to mind, but browsing Reddit is just as bad.

For example, I'm currently playing Starfield. That's a digital activity that I've decided to do, and are looking forward to. However, being tired after a long day at work, it's easy to get caught scrolling Reddit instead. The barrier of entry is so much lower – the iPhone is right there, whereas I have to make a conscious decision to rig up the gaming laptop. I haven't tracked this, but I can safely say that a shocking number of times, I start the game hours later that I'd originally planned, or not at all, due to fooling around with apps on my phone.

The smartphone and its apps is the worst culprit, but the same can be said of an iPad or laptop, too. It's easy to get caught up in the vast abundance of things you can do in apps or on the web. It's draining, scrolling Instagram, and when it's not done purposefully, and quit in accordance, it'll steal time from valuable experiences. Like playing Starfield.

Digital balance is a lot about choosing what to do, and not just do other things because it's easier.

It's also about not choosing the digital option at all times.

Being able to read books on a screen is great. I keep different hours than my wife, and thanks to screens I can read in bed while she's asleep. This is a good thing.

However, if I want to cut down on my screen time, I could read a physical book instead. Sure, it's tricky in bed, I'd need one of those worm-lights, and they're perhaps a bit bright, but it is possible. I could also do my reading in the living room before going to bed.

I love physical books, but the convenience of digital ones are hard to beat, for me.

That said, it was a pleasant experience reading a couple of stories in the paper edition of the New Yorker while having lunch at the office the other day. They keep sending the print edition, we keep piling it, and ultimately recycling it, but the stories I typically read, I read in their app for iPad. It's more convenient. That particular day I'd left my iPad at home due to errands, and since I'm making a point of only using my iPhone for crucial things, I picked up the print editing. It was nice. I should do this more often, I thought.

That's where the balance thing comes in. It's so easy to just keep using devices, relying on screens and apps. It's convenient, which is great, but it comes with a risk of distractions. When you're not really choosing to do something, when your actions aren't purposeful, the balance is off.

I'm focusing a lot on the smartphone, putting away my iPhone for all but the most crucial things. That's not the whole story however, and I'm happy to see my thinking around these things evolving, one week in. It's interesting, for sure. I'll keep you posted.

— Thord D. Hedengren ⚡