Minimalism as a mechanism for overcoming anxiety in a modern person

This article analyzes minimalism as a mechanism for overcoming anxiety experienced by modern people, stemming from conditions of information overload and the specificities of postmodern society. The relevance of the study is grounded in the pervasive influence of design, the processes of digitalization and computerization leading to information supersaturation, as well as the universal nature of anxiety as a fundamental experience of human freedom. The aim of the article is to substantiate the hypothesis that minimalism emerges as a style deliberately designed to reduce anxiety caused by the excess of signs and information, and the limitation of communicative possibilities in the contemporary world. The methodological foundation is a philosophical analysis of the key characteristics of postmodernity and the information society. Postmodernity is characterized by the constant recourse to the past, the hyperproduction of signs, the dominance of illusory simulacra, the erasure of boundaries between high and low art, and the assertion of interpretative plurality. Collectively, these factors create communicative crises and intensify existential anxiety. The information society, based on network structures and global data exchange, faces contradictions between globalization and identity, manipulative practices, a crisis of trust in information, diminished information security, and critical levels of information overload that hinder data perception and processing. Within this article, minimalism is examined as a response to the challenges of the modern world. In the postmodern context, it acts as a critic of the excess of forms, signs, and objects, of respectability and kitsch. Minimalism rejects the deconstruction and eclectic mixing of ideas characteristic of postmodernity, proposing instead the creation of simple, “elementary” objects and structures devoid of excessive emotionality. Being tautological, these objects rupture the symbolic space of simulacra, exposing their illusory nature and the absurdity of the consumer race. Minimalism focuses on unique concepts that satisfy the individual’s need for authentic communication, spiritual development, and cultural identity, while limiting interpretative freedom to achieve clarity. Within the context of the information society, minimalist design performs crucial anxiety-reducing functions. It provides rapid and straightforward access to key information by eliminating superfluous details and concentrating on the essence, addressing users’ need for simplicity and perceptual efficiency amidst information flow. The universality and adaptability of minimalist interfaces align with the demands of diverse user needs and the effective use of mobile and digital technologies. Minimalism fosters reflexivity, aiding in information organization and focus on the significant, thereby reducing cognitive load. Thus, the philosophical foundations of minimalism as an anxiety-overcoming mechanism are: response to sign excess through universality and limitation of interpretations; exposure of the illusory nature of simulacra via formal simplicity; proposal of unique concepts instead of mixing ideas; concentration on the essence of information; simplicity of presentation; functionality and adaptability. It is demonstrated that minimalism serves as an effective tool for overcoming anxiety generated by the semiotic excess of postmodernity and the informational supersaturation of digital society. Its principles - simplicity, economy, synthesis of form and content - create refuge, offering calming clarity and focus. This has practical significance for optimizing user interface design and communication in the contemporary world. The author declares no conflicts of interests.

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