If you’ve ever felt mentally exhausted after “just checking your phone” for a few minutes, you’re not alone. I started noticing that my most tiring days weren’t always packed with classes, work, or errands. Instead, they were the days where I was glued to a screen — flipping between lecture slides, emails, TikTok, Spotify, DMs, and Snapchat. I’d finish the day feeling like I did everything — and nothing.
What I was experiencing is something many of us live with silently: digital overload. And it’s affecting how we think, feel, and function more than we realize.
What Is Digital Overload?
Digital overload happens when we’re bombarded by too much online input at once, emails, alerts, “urgent” notifications, messages, content.
Psychologists call it cognitive overload, when your working memory hits capacity and can no longer prioritize or process effectively. That’s when brain fog sets in. You forget what you were doing, feel overwhelmed by small tasks, or find yourself aimlessly clicking between tabs.
As a student, this felt normal. Between managing coursework, social life, internships, finances, and future plans, tech was just how I kept up. But what looked like “productivity” was actually constant task-switching, and it left me feeling anxious, drained, and detached.
Gen Z and the Myth of Multitasking
We’re the first generation to grow up fully immersed in digital life, and it shows. Watching Netflix while writing essays, FaceTiming during study breaks, sending Snapchat's mid-lecture — has all become a normal part of our routine.
But the truth is, multitasking doesn’t actually make us more efficient. Research shows it reduces productivity by up to 40% (APA, 2021) because our brains need to reorient every time we switch tasks. Over time, this drains our ability to focus, make decisions, and self-regulate.
I saw this firsthand during exam season. I’d spend hours “studying” but absorb almost nothing. My mind wasn’t resting or focusing, it was juggling.
So What Is Digital Minimalism?
Digital minimalism is about using technology with intention. It’s not about deleting everything or going off the grid, it’s about choosing tools and habits that genuinely support your goals, and letting go of the rest.
Cal Newport, who wrote a book on digital minimalism, defines digital minimalism as a lifestyle where you “focus your online time on a small number of carefully selected and optimized activities that strongly support things you value.” Basically: less scrolling, more living.
For me, digital minimalism meant stopping to ask questions like:
Do I really need this app?
Is this notification helping me or stressing me out?
Am I using this tool, or is it using me?
The more I decluttered, not just my home screen, but my habits, the more I noticed a shift in how I felt, less overwhelmed and more focused.
Why Digital Minimalism Matters for Mental Health
It’s not just about screen time. It’s about your nervous system.
When we’re bombarded by alerts and financial inputs, whether it’s bank notifications, investment TikToks, or budget reminders, our brains default to fast, reactive thinking (Type 1 in Dual Process Theory). This makes us more impulsive, anxious, and avoidant. That’s why sometimes, even though we know we should check our budget or track our spending, we just don’t.
Digital minimalism creates space for slower, more rational thinking (Type 2). It allows us to pause, reflect, and act in alignment with our values.
For me, this has meant fewer impulse purchases, more meaningful spending, and way less guilt. And honestly, I feel more confident, not because I know everything about money, but because I’m not drowning in digital noise and making impulsive decisions caused by mental overwhelm.
Minimalism as a Student
Student life already comes with limited resources, including time, money, and brainpower. Between tuition, part-time jobs, group projects, and a million tabs open in your brain, it’s easy to feel like you’re barely keeping up.
For a long time, I thought the solution was more, more apps, more productivity hacks, and more tools to manage the clutter. However, all it did was create more clutter, on my phone, in my finances, and in my mind.
That’s when I started practicing minimalism, not just with tech, but with my whole approach to money.
Here’s what that’s looked like:
One spreadsheet, one bank app: Instead of juggling a bunch of platforms, I keep everything in one place that actually makes sense to me.
One low-cost ETF: I used to think I had to understand crypto, stock picking, and every new investing trend. Now, I invest in a single diversified ETF and leave it alone. It grows slowly, but it’s consistent and it frees up so much mental space.
No chasing trends: I stopped downloading every “top budgeting app for students” or copying what financial influencers were doing. Instead, I asked what actually fits my goals and lifestyle.
Financial boundaries: Just like I set screen-time limits, I’ve set rules for money. I don’t check my finances obsessively. I don’t guilt myself for spending on things I value. And I say “no” to social pressure when something doesn’t align with my budget.
The truth is, I wasn’t failing at budgeting or productivity, I was just overwhelmed by the way I was trying to keep up. Once I simplified, I felt more calm, more confident, and more in control even if I was technically “doing less.”
Final Thoughts: Choosing Less to Live More
Digital minimalism isn’t about deleting everything or logging off forever. It’s about choosing what matters, and letting go of the rest without guilt.
As a student, that choice has helped me show up more fully in my school work, relationships, and goals.
If you’ve been feeling distracted, anxious, or just tired of keeping up, consider this your sign to take a breath. Unfollow. Uninstall. Unplug, even for a little while.
Because sometimes, doing less is the most powerful thing you can do.
References
Newport, C. (2019). Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World. Penguin Publishing Group.
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