I’m addicted to my phone, and I know I’m not the only one. We Millennials grew up as technology was growing up. In many ways, we matured together like childhood friends. Except, technology feels like a bit of a bully lately—the friend who steals your boyfriend and your good shoes and still calls you “bestie” in the yearbook.
The iPhone that has helped keep in touch with friends and family from across the nation and the globe as I’ve navigated adulthood, snapped photos of my kids at all seasons of childhood, and developed a business that is thriving, has now turned on me. Though I still use my phone for all those things, I am now bombarded with attacks every time I pick it up.
Anxiety-inducing news, self-image-collapsing social media, mind-numbing doomscrolling, and information overload assault me daily. I’m sure you’re reading this because you’re in the same boat as I am.
You want to advocate for the marginalized. You want your countrymen to wake up. You want your children to have a bright future. You want all the things that our country and our technology have promised. So you stick it out, and now it’s been years, and you’re just an addicted product of the system.
This post is for you. Here are 5 ways to turn away from the 24/7 newsreel of garbage we’re fed daily. I’ll use something we understand as Christians to illustrate each step—repentance. The Greek word metanoeite means “to change one’s mind or purpose.” So when we talk about making changes to your cell phone and anxiety-inducing habits, we’re going to talk about changing our minds and purpose. If you don’t, attempts will be futile.
- Take back your time.
Back in the day, when I was a shorter human and didn’t yet have a smartphone, the news ran on television early in the morning, at noon, in the evening, and at night. Children didn’t access the news except possibly in passing while their parents watched. Now, children and adults alike have access to notifications 24/7. We wake up with news scrawled across our screens. It’s on our For You pages on social media. It’s talked about all the time by everyone. To combat this onslaught of information and misinformation, you simply have to take your time back. Start a habit of reading local news in the morning and national/global news at night. Avoid it at all other times by unfollowing and unliking news sites, and intentionally go to them when it’s time to look at the news. Safeguard your time away from the news the way you would not tell your child bad news before their birthday party. You matter too. - Join a discussion group.
Believe it or not, there are still old-fashioned discussion groups that meet monthly to discuss current events. These are often filled with people who have some kind of expertise in the field or are invested in the state of affairs in the country, state, or local community. Joining (or starting) a group like this has many social and professional benefits, such as networking, but it can also help you focus on news that affects you and your community. It makes the news smaller and more manageable. - Unfollow global news.
This is one of the biggest things that affected my anxiety and cell phone use. I took a social media fast for 40 days, and while doing so, I needed to do something on my phone, so I opted for local news from my local network. I never clicked on global news; I focused only on local news. If you do this, you may find, as I did, that your local news often focuses on positive news, not just negative, as you’ll often see on major national networks and global feeds. - Start with the best news.
To reduce anxiety and focus less on the bad things going on, first, you have to face the fact that you are choosing to focus on the worst things currently happening to humanity. That’s no way to live. Instead, shift your focus in the mornings to the best news—the Gospel. If you find yourself pulled into the 24/7 nightmare reel first thing in the morning, do this instead: move past your phone and read your Bible instead. This can be simple at first to trick your brain, put your entire phone on downtime while you sleep, and only allow the Bible app. Keep your phone facedown (if it has to be next to your bed) and put your Bible on top of it. Choose a devotion book and do the same. The possibilities are endless, and you have the freedom to choose how to put the Good News before the bad every day. - Set boundaries with others.
Everyone has a town crier in their life who likes to share the news (often at top volume) with everyone they know. It may be because they like to be “in the know,” or because they’re anxious and want to talk things out. No matter the reason, you can set a boundary. Even mid-sentence, you can say, “This is really interesting, but I don’t like to focus on the bad news happening around us. Can we talk about something else?” Simple, kind, direct. Don’t think you can do that in the moment? Have a talk with that friend or family member at a different time, so it’s not during a real-time interaction.
The Righteous Will Never Be Moved
1Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
who greatly delights in his commandments!
2 His offspring will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.
5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;
who conducts his affairs with justice.
6 For the righteous will never be moved;
he will be remembered forever.
7 He is not afraid of bad news;
his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.
8 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,
until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
9 He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn is exalted in honor.
10 The wicked man sees it and is angry;
he gnashes his teeth and melts away;
the desire of the wicked will perish!Psalm 112, ESV
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