Joy Of Less

I was lucky to grow up in a predominantly screen-free environment. Watching television was a deliberate activity, not a default. I was not reliant upon external stimuli and I rarely experienced boredom or a lack of creativity. Living in the country, I had the space and freedom to explore in nature and to live an active lifestyle. I had the privilege of experiencing childhood and play as it was “in the good ol’ days” before Western culture developed a screen dependency.
The benefits of growing up screen-free greatly outweigh any negatives: missing references to pop culture has been the only downside of being raised screen-free, and even that is marginal. Parents interviewed about raising screen-free children for an article in the Chicago Tribune said they “have minor concerns that their kids won't be able to share in conversations with peers about TV shows or popular music” (Schoenberg, 2015) and that is certainly a valid-albeit minor-concern: I have said, “I don’t know that reference; I was …show more content…
The Joy of Less introduced me to the minimalist philosophy by which I still live today. It taught me that there is no designated script or doctrine for minimalism: there’s no set number of things to own and you don’t have to have all-white furniture. Simply put, minimalism is having enough. “Enough” will look different for everyone based on lifestyle: for example, a sous chef’s “enough” in the kitchen will be greater than a bachelor who regularly dines out. The book showed me that excess is a burden and it taught me to value space. Space is opportunity: If you want to start a project but must first clear the space, you’re less likely to start the project than if the space was already clear. Thanks to The Joy of Less, I have lived more or less clutter-free for years, and that’s including having a household with three