Why consider a digital detox for Lent?
There are tons of great reasons to do a digital detox, and many of them have nothing to do with faith.
Digital detoxes increase calm and reduce anxiety and depression. They return us to presence in our surroundings and generate a feeling of freedom. They make us less reactive, more attentive, and more creative. Who wouldn’t want any (or all) of that stuff?
However people of faith (certainly Christians) often pair a digital detox with elements that tie to their faith. This is because the act of examining and seeking to adjust one’s habits raises questions of purpose. Why do we do the things we do, and how do we decide what to do more or less of? What does it look like to lead a healthy or balanced life? For the Christian, these are fundamentally questions of faith… because God (who is our maker) is the one to say what ingredients make up a healthy life. He makes the call.
It’s not unusual for Christians to time digital detox efforts to coincide with the season the church calls “Lent.” Lent occurs in the six weeks that precede Easter and is marked by focus on sin and repentance. (There’s a great, brief description of the practice here.) During Lent Christians prepare their hearts to mark the events of Jesus’ betrayal and crucifixion through recognizing our sins and cultivating gratitude for Jesus’ death on our behalf.
Christians have annually engaged in Lenten practices for 1700 years (impressive when you consider the somber tone and focus on sin), and fasting is usually included. We fast - at God’s direction - as a way to humble ourselves and experience our need for him. Through it we widen our internal space for God and cultivate appetite for him and his goodness. Fasting traditionally means abstaining from food in some way, but in recent decades many Christians have adopted fasts in which they “give up” other life pleasures. The point is to set aside what is extraneous or indulgent to increase focus on, and dedication to, God. As we increase our attention towards him, our faith increases and he enlarges our hearts in all the best ways.
Enter the digital detox. This has become popular because we moderns are now so reliant on our devices. We spend many hours a day on them, go to them first... and often have them as idols in our lives. This is the kind of thing the Christian is called to root out, in order that we might love God first and best - as he instructs.
The first Lent I ever did a digital fast was in 2014, when I stayed off Facebook- a powerful spiritual exercise for me. But there are many ways to implement a digital detox, and one is not better than another. It’s an act of devotion and is about heart and commitment, more than logistics or semantics. If you are looking for brass tacks and specifics, thought, you might want to look at several simple options I describe in my post “3 types of digital detox (and why you should do one)”.
For me, screen practices are intrinsically tied to faith. I know the reason my phone’s pull is so powerful is because of what’s occurring in my soul. When things go awry in my phone use, as they often do, that’s where it’s ultimately happening. This matters a lot to Christians, because Jesus teaches that what’s happening internally, at that level, is most important.
So as I see it, the faith questions that pertain to phone use are critical. They’re what fuel my drive as a digital wellness educator, and they’re the reason I wrote my new little book, Your Faith and Your Phone: a 30-Day Devotional. It’s Bible-based, prayer-infused, and practical (as well as shame-free). It would make a great companion to anyone who’s abstaining from digital practices of any kind during Lent.
If you check it out, let me know what you think. I’d love to hear!
And what ever you do at Lent, digital or otherwise, may you find closeness with God that sustains and fills you as you sacrifice to draw near to him in the days leading up to Easter.
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