I gave up social media for Lent.

Yes, I realize that I absolutely could not be more cliche. Pretty sure this is somewhere high on the list of Stuff Christian People Love To Do And Talk About. (head nod to Jon Acuff and his book, Stuff Christians Like.)

I never planned to be “The Public Facebook Quitter”! I just felt like it had gotten so bad, I had to take drastic measures. I felt incredibly distracted, my head full of noise. There was no time or bandwidth to think about Jesus this season because nearly every spare second was spent scrolling or checking something.

A few things that I have noticed since kissing the internet goodbye:

Basically, I was worse off than I thought. I suppose, in the same sort of way that a “casual drinker” realizes the depth of his beer-cravings when he suddenly can’t have any. “Addiction” is absolutely the right word for it for me. (And by the way, it wasn’t even a complete breakup. I had several commitments using social media, so I allowed myself one day a week to be on.)

You see…

• The iPhone’s taught me to be impatient. Without my iPhone to distract me, I am suddenly so impatient waiting in lines, waiting for an appointment, or – I shudder to confess – waiting for a little person who is struggling to do something. With our phones, when we need to order something/check the weather/send a message we can do it immediately. We have lost the ability to wait, and this impatience and short attention span cannot help but seep into our relationships – with our family, with God.

• The iPhone is where I go for help. I realized that the times I long for my iPhone are when I am tired, discouraged, overwhelmed, or bothered by something. It is my salve, my peace, my security.

• But we’re not missing much! As I said, I still checked in periodically. It was absolutely shocking how little I missed. I would check my notifications or emails in less than ten minutes and be done. I kept thinking, “I could have been on this thing all day, and I learned everything I needed to know in about 90 seconds. What a waste of time.”

• It’s not satisfying. Social media is my crutch, but it really doesn’t make me feel good inside. For one example, I logged into Facebook last week and saw one obituary, an article about a girl who clawed her own eyes out, an offensive joke, one condemning political article, and half a dozen images that made me feel insecure about my own life. This is supposed to be fun?

• The less I check, the more productive I am. The irony is that when I am constantly “checking” things, I am less likely to respond in a timely manner. Because, obviously, the check-out line in the grocery store is not an idea spot to respond to your neighbor’s question about the Easter egg hunt. On the contrary, when I limit my computer times to times that are well-suited to using the computer, I reply much more responsibly.

• Less connected = more free. I feel free. I find myself wanting to use phrases like “watch more sunsets” and “notice flowers” and “read good books.” Yes, all that.

I like me better without my phone.

What’s the solution? Do you think I hate iPhones? No – the iPhone isn’t good or bad; it’s just a tool. How do we use it well? Two suggestions:

1. Read this book. I’m in chapter 2 and it’s awesome.

2. Have regular times where you detox from your iPhone.

I can’t think of a more appropriate time to do this than Holy Week.

How To Do A Holy Week Social Media Fast

I don’t know what your cyber drug of choice is – if your crutch is Twitter, Pinterest, online shopping, Facebook, Instagram, even if you have a case of C.E.C. (“chronic email checker”) – but wherever you “go” in those down moments, I challenge you to set it aside during Holy Week.

What if you *need* to be on?

I avoided a Facebook or Instagram fast for a long time because of my blogging groups or various responsibilities, but there is totally a solution. Set one specific time during the week, or day, to go on, and that’s it. Set a time limit. I use this free app for my computer, and I deleted the social media apps on my iPhone. (This doesn’t delete any of your posts or photos.)

But – important – don’t merely give something up. If you’re fasting during Holy Week, replace the time you would be on your iPhone with prayer, reading Scriptures about Jesus or his death, praying, reciting a creed, read a book…

Join me?

I’d love to know that you’re following me along!

 

 

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