I think in tech circles there is this obsession with aesthetic of minimalism which I suspect is driven by nostalgia. It comes up all the time on HN, and the usu

I think in tech circles there is this obsession with aesthetic of minimalism which I suspect is driven by nostalgia. It comes up all the time on HN, and the usual suspects are ditching smartphones and going back to paper. Personally, I prefer "utilitarian" over "minimal". Everything around me serves a purpose, when it stops doing that its gone. I still use a smartphone and gmail. I avoid paper and "uni-taskers". The one thing I agree with is cutting out all news. I have not found news across any medium to provide any actionable benefits to my life. One thing to consider is replacing massive social networks with close-connection (people from real life) and interest-based networks. There are well-funded, anonymous actors within these large platforms, driven by perverse incentives that are often counter to your well-being.