I felt depleted. Sitting in bed on a Sunday night, watching random YouTube videos I only half cared about, trying to numb my guilt about wasting my weekend. Another weekend that, 48 hours ago, I’d approached with good intentions, only to let time be gobbled up by … my smartphone.
That was me in the early fall of 2025. I would spend so much of my free time scrolling through social media posts and articles, only to be left with nothing. I’d walk into work on Monday mornings feeling like my weekends could’ve been so much better.
Something needed to change, but how?
Then, I heard about something the Orthodox Jewish community does: From Friday night to Saturday night, they simply turn off their phones. Turn off my phone? Can I really do that? I read through the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and realized that one of them is self-control. I had no excuse. Inspired, I decided to give it a try.
Smartphones are not inherently evil. I own one and love its capabilities. However, my scrolling habits were like a mind virus, and it was time for an intentional quarantine. If I was going to be a faithful Christian who displays God’s love to the world, I needed to take a break from the constant noise. And while I’ve not implemented these mini screen fasts every week since the fall of 2025, I’ve done it most weekends.
Spoiler alert: It’s been life-changing.
How I Confronted Worst-Case Scenarios
I have a big imagination. I feel like I’m talking loudest when I’m most quiet. My brain goes into hyperdrive. And as I prepared for my first 24-hour phone fast, one question rattled in my brain: What if something bad happens, and I don’t hear about it in time?!
The problem with that question is that it’s directed by fear. Jesus said in John’s Gospel that the world will know we are Christians by our love for each other (John 13:35). I used to think the opposite of love was hate. (And for some people, that may be true.) But for me, the opposite of love is fear. Why? Because fear chokes our ability to love. Pulling away from my phone isn’t just about building better habits, it also gives me the chance to confront my fear.
I’ve completed several 24-hour phone fasts now, and guess what? The worst-case scenario still hasn’t happened! And I feel like it’s easier to focus on and love others when I’m not allowing myself to be consumed by my technological devices.
What I Observed in My Friends’ Behaviors
The average American currently spends 5 hours and 16 minutes on their phone every day. That’s more than a day per week, and well over 50 days a year. On a phone! Visit any public venue, and you’ll see it’s real.
Most of us don’t want to spend that much time on our glowing rectangles: We intend to respond to a text, get a quick update on news or sports, or listen to one more song. But too many of us get caught scrolling our lives away.
As I started my first phone fast, I examined my friends and noticed something very sobering: Those who spent lots of time on their phones were more cynical, less self-aware and more prone to knee-jerk reactions about stuff they probably wouldn’t even remember a week later. The more hours they logged on their phones, the more they complained how they “didn’t have the time” to do other stuff. Worse still, I realized that before my fast, I was just like them.
However, I also observed friends who exercised more self-control with their screen habits. Those friends were investing in real relationships. They had joy, talked more about what God was doing in their lives and were quicker to confess areas they (not others) needed to work on. I felt that they were living out Proverbs 16:32, which states, “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”
These observations made me realize that we all need to ask ourselves the question, how are my tech habits influencing who I’m becoming?
What I Observed About the World
Doing these brief phone fasts haven’t just highlighted how my tech habits influence me, they’ve also taught me that most of the world is far more peaceful than the internet tells us. Most people, if you look them in the eye, aren’t going to respond with insulting (and sometimes misspelled) comments. Unfortunately, those furious rejoinders are what fuels online engagement.
But we were not designed for an influx of shallow opinions and rage-filled reactions to complicated problems. James 3:16 isn’t kidding when it says, “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work” (KJV). I think the devil wants us to feel like we’re more informed than ever, because news from around the world comes to the phones in our pockets. But honestly, the weekends when I fed myself a diet of mindless internet scrolling and recent headlines, I felt more confused than informed.
I think that’s because we were made to catch a glimpse of a person’s soul through their eyes—not judge their entire story through negative posts and angry videos.
The Things I Gained (And Hope You Will, Too)
I realize now that most text messages can wait. I know, it sounds ridiculous to even say, but it’s true. Have I missed stuff when I’ve put my phone away for 24-hours? Sure. (I was slightly embarrassed to not answer texts while my favorite NFL team was in a playoff game earlier this year.) But I haven’t lost any friendships just because my responses were a bit later than normal.
During my short screen fasts, I’ve also suddenly “had time” to do productive things—and my motivation to do them has soared. Even simple things like running errands, reading a good book, praying for a friend or going outside to enjoying fresh air feels available.
Sans phone, I’ve run into friends in public and struck up unplanned conversations that turned into beautiful memories. I feel more engaged in those chats. The discussions go deeper. I can simply look someone in the eye and listen. There is no buzzing in my pocket to break my concentration.
Jesus promises in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” The best benefit of these phone fasts has been experiencing the peace and rest that Jesus offers for my soul. And His rest isn’t just refreshing, it’s necessary for us to even function. I’m no longer asking, can I really do this? A break from the phone is now something I look forward to.
You might be in a season where turning your phone off for 24 hours isn’t feasible. That’s okay! You could try 12 hours or even six. Nobody ends their day saying, “Man, I wish I’d spent more time on my phone.” (If you have, please let me know in the comments, because you’d be the first.) But how many people regret not enjoying more time with their family and friends?
There may not be a “perfect” season to embrace this challenge, but you’ll be glad you did. And as the summer begins, I rather think this season may be more ideal than you think.
I dare you to turn off your phone and experience the real world. I challenge you to trade online comment battles with people you’ve never met for discussions with people who actually know you and love you. I encourage you to confront your anxiety-rattling questions and find peace. And more than anything, I pray that in taking a break from your screens, you will find the same rest for your soul that Jesus brought to mine.
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