Since the early days of the internet, technology has improved productivity, connectivity, and access to information. In seconds, we can check prices, read breaking news, research almost any topic, and communicate with people across the world. That shift is overwhelmingly positive—but the constant influx of updates can also make it harder to think clearly and spend time on what matters most. When every spare moment is filled with notifications, headlines, and scrolling, it’s worth stepping back and asking: is technology serving me, or am I serving it? Should I set boundaries so I can focus on family, friends, sleep, health, and the work that requires real attention? These were the questions we wrestled with at EBS when our team read Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport.
Newport’s core argument is straightforward: many of us have accumulated digital tools the same way we accumulate clutter—one app, platform, and subscription at a time—without pausing to decide whether each one truly earns its place. Digital minimalism is not anti-technology. Instead, it’s a philosophy of being intentional, choosing a small number of technologies that support what you value and using them with clear rules, so the tools don’t quietly become the default.
A helpful lens from the book is that our devices and apps are not neutral. Many platforms are engineered to capture attention through pings, badges, autoplay, and infinite feed features designed to keep you engaged because engagement is monetized. In that environment, protecting your time and focus becomes a skill. Newport proposes a 30-day “digital declutter”: step away from optional technologies (for example, social media apps, entertainment apps, and habitual news-checking), deliberately fill the space with higher-quality offline activities, and then reintroduce only the tools you can justify with a clear value proposition. Just as important, you add “operating procedures” (rules like time limits, specific windows for use, or using a tool only on a desktop) so you stay in control.
Intentional technology use matters in the investment decision-making process at EBS as well. Markets generate an endless stream of commentary—earnings reactions, macro headlines, social media narratives, and “hot takes” packaged to provoke urgency. Staying informed is important, but the most visible information may not always be the most valuable. Headlines are designed to be remembered for minutes; intrinsic value is determined over years. When we consume too much fast information, it can crowd out the slower work that we believe is important to long-term fundamental analysis: reading SEC filings, understanding industry structure, evaluating management incentives, and thinking probabilistically about a range of outcomes.
Applying a minimalist mindset to our “information diet” helps us tune out noise and prioritize fundamentals. In practice, that can mean deliberately choosing a limited set of high-quality sources, scheduling news consumption instead of checking constantly, and turning off non-essential notifications so deep thinking is possible. It can also mean creating no-phone spaces (during meals, before bed, or in meetings) and protecting uninterrupted time for reading, modeling, and writing—work that is hard to do when attention is repeatedly interrupted. The goal isn’t to be uninformed; it’s to reduce reactive behavior so our decisions are grounded in fundamentals rather than the emotional intensity of the moment.
Below is a short list of books that build on Digital Minimalism for anyone interested in minimizing distractions and using technology more deliberately.
- "The Tech Exit" — Clare Morell
- "Atomic Habits" — James Clear
- "Deep Work" — Cal Newport
- "Essentialism" — Greg McKeown
- "Indistractable" — Nir Eyal
This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation of any security or strategy. No investment strategy or approach can guarantee future results and there can be no assurance that any investment approach will achieve its objectives. All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal.