[jdbernard]

I'm one of those users. The visual clutter leads to mental clutter. Having a "clean" notification bar makes it easier to ignore the pavlovian "check your phone!" conditioning that has built up over time.

I appreciate that in some cases apps need to be in the notification bar in order to remain running. I also appreciate those like Tasker that have the option to hide their icons or use "empty" icons (so nothing shows).