In the physical world when you adopt minimalism, you give importance to quality over quantity, and in turn, look for a thing that could do multiple things; maximise the utility to minimise the physical footprint.
How does that translate in the digital world?
Here, multipurpose tools include devices, software, and services. Whether a digital device such as a phone/tablet (a hub for music player, camera, navigation assistance, e-Reader; a ubiquitous gateway to internet rabbit hole) or software such as Microsoft Teams (a hub for calendar, files/storage, chat, other apps; a ubiquitous gateway for work management) or services such as Amazon (a shopping hub for literally A to Z; a ubiquitous gateway to consumerism).
These digital tools enter our life as novelties, promising convenience by doing several things better; an upgrade to our life. As we use more of its capabilities, it downgrades us as mindless beings distracted by the different options and becomes an essential utility that is hard to get rid of (Or so we think).
Perhaps, single-purpose tools in a digital world are better; mainly for tools that directly interact with us — Like an e-Reader for books rather than using a phone/tablet or health monitoring without any crazy display such as smartwatches.
Beware of anything in the digital world that promises to do multiple things; that creates a fantasy — if we succumb without intentionality we end up trading quality for addiction, distraction, and compulsory consumption; a poisoned apple.
This quote by Patrick Rhone sums it up:
“We think we need those things because we have been told we need those things. We have been told we need those things by our society. It has been this kind of slow little thing that’s just kind of trickled in, and suddenly, it becomes the thing you do.”