Lifestyle

Digital Minimalism: How to Lead a Fulfilling Life with Less Screen Time

As the world gets more hyperconnected and our collective dependence on digital devices reaches feverish proportions, it’s easy to get caught in the endless loop of notifications, social media, and constant digital engagement. However, a growing movement called Digital Minimalism encourages individuals to intentionally reduce screen time and digital clutter, leading to a more fulfilling, focused, and balanced life.

Digital minimalists prioritize meaningful digital interactions, declutter their online spaces, and embrace technology to enhance their real-world experiences, rather than detract from them.

What is Digital Minimalism?

Digital Minimalism is a philosophy where technology is used deliberately, not as a constant distraction. It involves cutting down on unnecessary apps, social media, and devices to focus on activities that truly matter. Instead of using technology passively or out of habit, digital minimalists engage with it mindfully to gain control over their digital needs and not become slaves to it. The goal is not to reject technology entirely but to ensure it serves a purpose and enriches life.

The Impact of Digital Clutter

Many of us feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of digital content we encounter daily—emails, texts, notifications, and endless scrolling. This digital overload can have several negative effects:

Decreased mental clarity: Constant engagement with digital devices makes it difficult to focus on tasks, leading to reduced productivity and mental exhaustion.

Strained relationships: Over-reliance on screens often reduces meaningful face-to-face interactions, which can weaken personal relationships and limit deep connections.

Diminished life satisfaction: Mindless browsing or scrolling through social media can lead to comparison, anxiety, and a feeling of missing out, all of which negatively impact life satisfaction.

Also Read: What Do You Know About Postpartum Hair Loss?

Steps to Embrace Digital Minimalism

Conduct a Digital Declutter

Start by evaluating your digital habits and identifying areas that create clutter or unnecessary distractions. Delete unused apps, unfollow accounts that don’t inspire or educate you, and clean out your inbox.

Set Screen Time Limits
Many devices have built-in features to help monitor screen time. Set boundaries on how long you can spend on specific apps or on your phone each day. You can also designate specific “phone-free” times like during meals, conversations, or before bed.

Prioritize Intentional Tech Use
Use technology purposefully. Instead of opening your phone out of boredom or habit, make a conscious decision to use it for something specific. For example, if you open Instagram, set a goal like catching up with a friend rather than mindlessly scrolling.

Create Tech-Free Zones
Designate areas in your home, like the bedroom or dining table, as tech-free zones to encourage real-world interactions and promote relaxation away from screens.

Rediscover Analog Activities
Reconnect with non-digital hobbies such as reading physical books, journaling, cooking, or spending time in nature. These activities can offer a greater sense of fulfillment and mindfulness than digital ones.

Practice a Digital Sabbath
Set aside one day a week (or a few hours a day) when you completely disconnect from digital devices. This practice gives your mind a break from the constant stimulation of the digital world and allows you to fully engage with offline experiences.

Benefits of Digital Minimalism
Improved Mental Clarity and Focus
When you reduce digital distractions, you can concentrate better on tasks and hobbies, leading to enhanced creativity and productivity. A decluttered digital life means fewer interruptions and more space for deep work and reflection.

Stronger Relationships
Cutting down on screen time allows for more genuine connections with friends, family, and partners. By being present in conversations and spending quality time together, you strengthen emotional bonds.

Increased Life Satisfaction
Engaging more mindfully with technology helps combat feelings of comparison and inadequacy that can arise from social media. Instead, digital minimalists focus on activities and relationships that bring real joy and satisfaction.

More Time for Meaningful Activities
By eliminating mindless scrolling and excessive screen time, digital minimalism frees up time for hobbies, exercise, and activities that contribute to personal growth and well-being.

Better Sleep and Reduced Stress
Limiting screen time, especially before bed, can improve sleep quality. Moreover, a life with fewer digital distractions often means less mental overload and stress, promoting overall wellness.

Entertainment

My mum is my God, my dad is my God’ — 9ice

Singer 9ice has sparked debate after saying his parents are his “God” and rejecting other deities, months after revealing he has practised as a Babalawo for 18 years.

9ice is once again at the centre of online debate after declaring that his parents, not any deity, occupy the highest spiritual place in his life.

In a video posted to his Instagram on Sunday, the artist said: “Today I’ll tell you something I don’t really talk about, but I’ll talk today. I love my mum, I love my dad, my god is my mum, my father is my god.” He went further in the comments, clarifying that the reverence typically reserved for an unseen God should instead be directed at one’s parents.

The singer didn’t stop there. “I don’t believe in inferior Gods,” he added, distancing himself from the worship of any other spiritual beings and insisting his belief system doesn’t fit neatly into traditional religious structures.

Predictably, the internet had thoughts, and most of them weren’t kind. A large chunk of reactions accused him of being under the influence of something, with many dismissing the statement outright rather than engaging with it.

This isn’t 9ice’s first brush with this kind of controversy, and that’s part of why the latest clip spread as fast as it did. Back in April, he went viral for a different but related rant, this time aimed squarely at Nigeria’s religious culture.

“You’ll leave Nigeria and go to Mecca to go and lick rock all in the name of Kabba,” he said then, arguing that decades of national prayer hadn’t translated into national progress. He compared Nigeria’s work ethic unfavourably to London’s, joking that between church on Sunday, Bible study on Wednesday and vigil on Friday, “when would you work?”

Some Nigerians found merit in his earlier point about productivity versus performative religiosity. Far fewer have extended that same patience to his spiritual claims, with both the Babalawo reveal and now this parental-deity comparison landing mostly as fodder for mockery rather than genuine reflection.

Entertainment

I Will Focus On African Music and culture – Davido

In a recent BBC 1Xtra interview, Davido revealed that his upcoming sixth studio album will be rooted in African sounds, marking a deliberate shift away from Western music influences.
In a recent appearance on BBC 1Xtra’s Official UK Afrobeats Chart Show, hosted by Congolese-British comedian and presenter Eddie Kadi, Davido offered what appears to be the clearest indication of where his music is headed next, emphasising his plan to decenter the West.

“This part of my career… I’ve performed everywhere, sold out every arena, been at all the award shows. I’ve been to three Grammys in the last three years. Now, I want to go back home. I want to go back to Africa. Even the music I’m recording now is very, very Davido African. I’m not focused on Western sounds. This one that’s coming next is very African,” he said.

Outside the casual interview quote, if we can recall, on his birthday in November last year, Davido subtly announced the coming of his sixth studio album. With this latest comment, he appears to be offering an indirect preview of what that project will sound like, indicating a deliberate pivot toward African audiences after years of building and consolidating a global presence.

It would not be the first time Davido has made that choice consciously. His fifth studio album, 5ive, released in 2025, was a commercial success anchored firmly in Nigerian identity. The album connected deeply with the markets Afrobeats had spent a decade cultivating across the continent, reflecting an artist who understood that the genre’s most loyal and most responsive audience had always been at home.

That conviction extended to his live shows. Last year, Davido held the 5ive Tour across five major Nigerian cities, including Lagos, Ibadan, and Enugu. It was a domestic tour that came at a time when major acts had largely abandoned the Nigerian touring circuit, and was widely commended as a statement of intent.

Entertainment

#SpotlightAfricaThrowbackSeries The Exclusive Wedding of Chief Sunday and Mrs Oluwatosin Oso in Akure

Joyful was the moment when the families of Oso in Ado-Ekiti and Ojo in Akure, Ondo State, as their children, Chief Sunday Oso and Mrs. Oluwatosin Ojo, formally sealed their lifelong union with an exchange of marital vows on November 6, 2021.

For the two lovebirds, the aura exuded nothing but love, as they both looked resplendent in their beautiful attire, gazing at each other with overwhelming excitement.

The event kicked off with a photo session by the couple at St. Jacobs Hotel, a 5-star hotel in Akure, Ondo State, which hosted notable guests from across Nigeria and abroad. At the same time, families, friends, and well-wishers converged at BAS Event Centre, Akure, Ondo State, the venue for both the traditional marriage and reception.

The two families expressed their joy as they warmly welcomed one another during the engagement. Guests were enlivened with rib-cracking jokes by the popular actress, Ronke Ojo, popularly known as Oshodi Oke, who anchored the event. The Ogbomoso-based Fuji maestro, Ramoni Akanni, did not fail to entertain guests with lively music. It was an all-you-can-eat menu accompanied by varieties of drinks, wine, and liquor.

Dignitaries in attendance include top politician, Hon. Olu Araoyinbo, Chairman, West Park Hotel, Mr Rasaq Oseni, Aare Khalif Adebiyi, Nigerian-based businessman, Mr Sesan Adelabu, Emirates, Chairman, St. Jacobs Hotel, Mr Babatope Adebiyi (Jafil), the Waziri of Ekiti State, Alhaji Ajijola, former Chairman, Ado-Ekiti Local Government, Hon. Chief (Mrs) Tosin Aluko, among others.

Hearty Congratulations to Mr and Mrs Oso!