how to practice minimalism with a bigger screen.


If I told you that you could practice minimalism with a bigger screen, would you believe me? That is exactly what I have been able to achieve as a minimalist generalist.

The entire notion is simple: minimalism is easier to practice using a bigger screen each time.

How does a big screen help with minimalism?

You might think that a bigger screen would be more distracting but given our current scenario, it is likely our phone that takes up much of our screen time.

Therefore it makes sense to take away phone usage to reduce our screen time.

Your phone is your biggest distraction right now.

As a digital minimalist, it is easier to see how my phone contributes to a lack of effort from my end:

  1. Watching Reels happens on the phone.
  2. ​WhatsApp takes a majority of my time and attention.
  3. ​Work apps make it easy to not open the laptop or desktop but now you are stuck with convenience.

And convenience is where the problem lies. Using our phones is super convenient. You can use it on the couch, at work, in the toilet, at a restaurant or even while taking a shower!

Therefore, it makes sense to replace it with a bigger screen to add a level of inconvenience.

Using a bigger screen to reduce screen time

Here is how we will fix our major issues.

  1. Uninstall apps that you can use on your iPad/tablet/desktop.
  2. Use them only at designated times; eg - Slack for work and X from 8-8:15 PM.
  3. Now you cannot sit comfortably and keep switching between apps. 
  4. This sort of limitation creates inconvenience that would require active participation to resolve.

How this has helped me.

  1. At one point I was used to using Snapchat to try AR effects and send Snaps to a few friends; uninstalled it from the phone, installed it on the iPad and the inconvenience of using it on a bigger screen made me delete it altogether.
  2. I don't waste my time streaming long form content on a tiny device; any time I need to watch something it has to be done on the TV screen: this also means that I have to be careful about my choices on content for what I view.
  3. Commenting or using DMs for any social media app is garbage on the iPad unless you have a digital keyboard; while using the phone I can lie down and comment but on the iPad or laptop I need to make a conscious effort on what's worth spending the time on.
  4. For streaming apps, it's either on the laptop, iPad or TV. Even then it's usually 15 minute videos at max - I don't feel as motivated to start or finish series anymore and movies are on a bigger screen than what we are discussing (cinema halls for those unacquainted).

Why using a bigger screen makes minimalism easy.

better minimalism with a big screen

With digital minimalism, it is easy to fall back to old patterns of using the phone with its unlimited distractions.

With a bigger screen, we not only redefine digital minimalism but also physical minimalism.

Digital minimalism with a bigger screen

  1. You are forced to use apps that are meant for a small screen on a large screen; the clunky experience makes it difficult to use the app for a long time and you cannot hold it like a phone.
  2. Convenience is the reason why phones win to gain your attention and why AR glasses will do the same in the future; for now, you will be able to stay away from apps that are not fun to use on big screens.
  3. If you are using a bigger screen, it makes sense to focus on that instead of looking at your phone - make it a habit to use only one screen at a time.

Physical minimalism with a bigger screen

  1. You are making active choices around the type of content you are viewing with family.
  2. You are likely to sit and watch content or work on things instead of lying down and taking up space; this way, you are respecting your home and the interiors' function.
  3. With bigger screens, you will have designated spaces for watching content and for working. Getting things done from your bed sounds super comfy but it is not the way to function since it leads to excessive phone usage.

​Things to keep in mind with minimalism on a bigger screen:

  1. Decouple the devices: use only one device at a time. Watching a movie and still scrolling on Instagram is not going to help.
  2. This may not work well for you if your bigger screens can be placed in zones where you can be comfortable.
  3. If you love switching between tabs and programs, this could be problematic in the long run.

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