Vitalik Buterin shared an article titled "Digital Minimalism" on X, saying that as AI develops, people should rethink their relationship with the digital world rather than let social media algorithms, mobile internet habits, and complicated website interfaces dictate how they use technology.
Three experiments he said he has tried
Vitalik described three practical steps. First, he said he has cut back on using X’s native interface directly and now uses Firefly to manage X, Bluesky, Farcaster, and Lens at the same time. The goal, he said, is to reduce the effect of algorithmic recommendations on how he gets information and where his attention goes.
Second, he said he kept his phone in airplane mode by default for 100 consecutive days, only connecting through Wi-Fi when necessary. He said this helped reduce exposure of location data and also helped build habits that are less dependent on being online.
Third, he said he has been doing fewer tasks through website interfaces and instead using command-line tools for ENS, IPFS, and privacy-protocol-related operations.
His criticism of websites and web apps
Vitalik said traditional websites and web applications carry privacy leakage risks, and that each visit also requires users to trust the server again. In his view, modular tools, local applications, and AI can let users complete tasks through natural language that previously required programming knowledge, cutting reliance on closed platforms and complex interfaces.
What he means by digital minimalism
He described this idea of actively controlling how digital tools are used as "digital minimalism." He added that progress in AI, offline applications, and software tools is making it possible for people to rely less on social media, the internet, and even web applications.
