Some folks in our church (including myself) are participating in a digital fast during this Lent season. To make it interesting and even a little fun, our churched purchased access to an app (called Aro) that keeps us connected and able to see how we are all doing in our successes.
Some people are enjoying gamifying the app and turning this fast into a fun competition, but I suspect the majority of us simply see it as a tool that may help us get a bit better control of our time spent on our digital devices. And yes... We are all aware of the irony that using an app for this purpose requires use of our digital devices.
Each person who's participating in this digital fast decides what the "fast" means for them, and the boundaries they put around their own digital fasting. The point of the fast isn't to demonize phone use, or become critical of others' phone use. In fact, others' use of their devices isn't what is publicly visible. We can only see when someone has intentionally set aside time they might have been on their device(s) and are making a conscious choice to not be.
The purpose is simply to make each participant more aware of how habitually and absent-mindedly s/he uses their phones, and other digital devices. And to encourage each of us to be more mindful about our digital device usage.
And in this awareness, to recognize that while our digital devices are wonderful tools of the modern age, they also have the capacity to rob us of time we could use for doing things we'd actually rather be doing... people we'd prefer to be interacting with in person... creative activities we'd feel more satisfaction pursuing. These are my words, but I think the writers of the book and workbook titled "The Digital Fast" would wholeheartedly approve of my take.
I thought this would be easy, to be honest. A lot of days, whether I'm at home or out and about, I feel like I've got plenty of things going to keep me busy and my mind active. Some days I lay my phone down and hardly look at it for hours. But then sometimes (usually late in the evening) I find myself scrolling through YouTube videos, looking for something that interests me - feeling myself growing more bored with each scroll of the screen. Which, oddly, has the effect of making me scroll even more. I say I want to break this habit, but summoning the willpower is hard.
While YouTube is a great treasure trove of information, and I am thankful for many things I've learned from videos there, I hate that I have become so attached to it. That's putting it too nicely. I'm just plain addicted to it.
Whatever I end up writing here about this experience is not meant to be any kind of screed on the problems of the internet and social media. I'm a big fan, in all honesty. I LOVE that I can have conversations with people who live across the ocean, or on the opposite side of the globe from me. I love my fellow YOPers and enjoy the camaraderie of a creative online community. I am all in for the wonderful benefits the internet can give us.
What I'm not so crazy about is, how mindlessly I can get sucked into the vortex of news stories that rarely say anything actually new. I'm weary of the fact that algorithms keep us divided, and unable to see and hear what exactly is influencing people we think we disagree with. We don't even take in the same information; how on earth can we have productive conversations on issues we think are important? People too easily talk past each other. The internet allows this to happen at lightening speed. Talking, talking, talking, hearing very little.
So... while, to date, I'm somewhat failing in my goal of conquering the mindless taking in of Youtube content in the evenings, it remains my goal to do just that.
Some good things so far from this exercise:
We've been motivated to have some people from church over recently. One of the encouragements of the fast is to replace screen time with community. We're no strangers to having folks over, but it's easy to get lazy about it when weeks go by and we don't do it.
Greg and I have played games a couple of times. Nothing very exciting, but it's good for us. Good for our gray matter, good for our relationship. We enjoy games. We need to do it more. I'm struck by how wholesome it is to just play a game with another person.
A few evenings ago we played Othello, last night Boggle. Other great two-person games we have: Mastermind, Scrabble, Upwords, Battleship, Eclipse, Cathedral, Blokus, Tangoes, Chess, Checkers, Backgammon, and any number of card games other games we tend to play with more people, but are probably fun for two.
Excellent idea for lent. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Marsha.
DeleteI know a number of people who wouldn't be able to disconnect from their phones for even so much as a minute. I, on the other hand, don't have a clue how to even get on the internet with my phone. I don't text either. My phone is only turned on maybe once or twice a month and that's only long enough to call the grocery store to tell them we're there to pick up our groceries. I have one friend that I regularly have coffee with and she has two phones beside her at all times...her house phone (landline) and her cell. If the cell so much as dings she has to pick it up to see what's going on. One day I'm going to ask her which is more important...me or that phone. I'm pretty sure she'd say the phone. I try to limit computer time to specific times each day and then turn it off...not always accomplished, but I do try.
ReplyDeleteMary Anne, I am in awe of your minimal phone use. I'd like to think if you said something to your friend, she'd reflect and realize you mean a lot more to her than her phone.
DeleteWe all fast from what we feel we need to do to be in better submission and cooperation with the Lord's purpose for us. Whatever that turns out to be. For me, it should be to fast from the baked goodies (or the over-consumption of) I make to please my husband. While the goodies don't seem to add to my husband's girth, they do to mine.
ReplyDeleteAs for my phone, I'm just thankful that it frees me to be able read the articles, devotional materials, and to stay in touch with my friends with the simple carrying about of a small devise instead of heavy books, etc.
Barbara, your second paragraph reminds me of how I might end up being able to conquer the YouTube addiction. Listening to music or something more uplifting than the news stories I often get caught up in would be much more edifying. Hopefully, I'll have some success with that before my next post.
DeleteWonderful idea for Lent, and to be continued thereafter as much as possible. I really try to be mindful of how much time I am on my phone. I really don't like to use it when I am around people unless it is an emergency phone call. But I can see how easy it is to get sucked into scrolling through things. I know I should spend that time doing something more meaningful, either reading a good book, or cleaning my house! or baking something good! Hubby and I used to play some games together, but we seldom do anymore. He's either watching TV/sports or doing stuff on his laptop, and so I also am doing stuff here in blogland or Facebook, etc. I think it would be great to get back to game night at least once a week. Thank you for the inspiration.
ReplyDeletePam, Hub and I are the same - we each have our own hobbies and pastimes and it's so easy to just be in our own spaces doing our own thing. The first time I asked Hub if he'd like to play a game, he looked at me like it was a little odd (because it's been so long since just he and I have done that). But after we played Othello (two or three times!), I suggested maybe we could play a game every day. The look I got, made me think that was maybe too ambitious. So I didn't mention it again until last evening, and there didn't seem as much inertia to overcome. I think once or twice a week, just as we randomly feel like it, sounds about perfect.
DeleteAbsolutely love this! A friend told me about this app that helps you limit your use. There are so many good things like Boggle and reading real books, but yes, I do enjoy YouTube... too much.
ReplyDeleteBecki, first of all congratulations on a thoughtful and useful fast. I have several friends that do a similar thing for Lent, usually around social media.
ReplyDeleteDigital addiction is something I struggle with as well. I am not sure if it is Fear Of Missing Out or just a habit, but I consume far too much time on digital things when I could be doing something that would be better for me. I am working very hard at reducing my social media time (and presence), as well as trying to moderate when I use the InterWeb (for non-work purposes) as well as reducing down the number of channels I subscribe to (and thus, watch) on the Tube of You.
Authors I have been reading lately - Greg McKeown (for Essentialism) as well as Cal Newport and Matthew Crawford - all talk about creating space and time to do important activities (or "Deep Work", as Newport uses the term). A big part of this is making the space and time and lack of interruptions to allow that to happen.
As it turns out, my post today oddly coincides nicely with your thoughts: https://thefortyfive.blogspot.com/2025/03/essentialism-xii-essence-of.html
This is a great idea. My blog posts to Instagram and Facebook automatically but I don’t actually log on to Instagram any more. Facebook I check twice a week now as I am an admin for the Guild’s group. My iPad is on a lot though as I read friend’s blogs, listen to audiobooks books and read them on the Kindle and library app. I’ve tried getting comfy reading actual books in bed but find I get sore wrists so definitely couldn’t go without as I sleep better if I’ve read before bedtime. But I’m much happier with which apps I most often use, Liz
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