After a long hiatus, my friend Erin and I are memorizing Scripture together again. Every Friday, we meet via Zoom. It’s super casual and low-pressure. Some weeks, we’ve made a lot of progress, and other weeks—not so much. We talk and catch up for the first few minutes, and then, near the end of our time together, we’ll recite our passages. Erin is working on Galatians, and I’m memorizing The Sermon on the Mount. After several weeks at it, we both agree it’s harder than it used to be. About ten years ago, we memorized the book of Philippians together. Back then, neither of us remembers having to work as hard. Initially, I wondered if the struggle was related to my age. I’m 50 now, and because I’ve lost family two family members to dementia, I’m a little (OK, a lot) paranoid about my memory. But Erin is 15 years younger than me, and she says it’s harder now for her too. We’ve discussed the struggle to concentrate and focus on a task for prolonged periods. Erin is an avid reader and one of the most intelligent people I know. If it’s harder for her—something is happening to all of us.
By now, most of us know that our smartphones are a combination of blessing and disaster. On one hand, we can access more information than ever and stay connected to family, friends, and colleagues. On the other hand, many of us have noticed our attention spans are fragmented. We’re distracted and have the urge to reach for our phones when we should be engaging in real-time.
The smartphone dilemma is so widespread that Fabuwood, a kitchen cabinet manufacturer in Newark, implemented a new policy: no cell phones in meetings. Unsurprisingly, employees initially resisted the idea but have since come around. Rena Stoff, a project manager, said, “Having the phone away from me has almost made my brain more open to information.”[1] Fabuwood went one step further when they offered to pay the costs of a flip phone for an employee who willingly gave up their smartphone. Eighty of Fabuwood’s 1200 employees took the company up on the offer and turned in their smartphones in favor of old-fashioned flip phones.
I’m not ready to forfeit my iPhone, but if I’m not careful, modern-day technology will cost more than I’ve bargained for. Most of us have a good idea of how our phones are impacting our work and personal lives. But have you considered how technology addiction impacts our spiritual lives?
The Christian faith commands that we engage our minds (Mark 12:30-31). Spending excessive time scrolling trains our brains to jump from one topic to the next without thinking deeply about any subject for long. Recent studies indicate Americans are reading less than before. In fact, of 1500 Americans surveyed, 46 percent read no books at all in 2023, and 5 percent read just one book.[2] You read that right—46 percent of Americans read zero books last year. These numbers are shocking but not particularly surprising, considering how much time Americans are scrolling. We’ve all been there. It’s the end of the day; we’re tired, and it’s easier to reach for our phones rather than a book because scrolling doesn’t demand our concentration. Occasionally, that happens to all of us. But for some of us, it’s become a lifestyle. We’ve traded our attention span for short bursts of entertainment.
Problematically, the Bible teaches a different approach to ingesting the Word of God. Psalm 1:1-2 says:
How happy is the one who does not
walk in the advice of the wicked
or stand in the pathway with sinners
or sit in the company of mockers!
Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction,
and he meditates on it day and night.
Notice the Psalmist describes the happy (or blessed), depending on your translation, as one who “meditates” on God’s Word. In this context, “meditate” is comparable to slow eating. Specifically to slowly chew or savor something like a lollipop.[3] In other words, to meditate means to ponder the Word of God and think through it from numerous angles. To mediate on the Word is similar to how a dog chews on a bone. The Psalmist says that people who engage the Word this way will be both happy and productive (Psalm 1:1;3). But here’s the kicker—we’ve got to have the mental bandwidth and ability to concentrate to participate in any of the spiritual disciplines.
I don’t pretend to have all the answers. Like so many of you, I’m trying to figure out how to navigate the technology and social media terrain. But I know I’m not willing to forfeit my attention span on the altar of my iPhone. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with scrolling. But I can’t help but think of the words of the apostle Paul:
“Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything builds up” (1 Cor. 10:23).
[1] The New York Times, A Practical Guide to Quitting Your Smartphone. Kashmir Hill, (February 1, 2024).
[2] The Washington Post, How Many Books Did You Read in 2023. Andrew Van Dam, (January 5, 2024).
[3] Eugene H. Peterson, As Kingfishers Catch Fire, (Waterbrook, Colorado Springs: 2017, p. 24).
