You are what you scroll
‘Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.’ — Romans 12:2
‘Technology is neither good nor bad, nor is it neutral.’ — Melvin Kranzberg
Whether you like it or not, the device you are reading this email on is changing you.
Here’s the thing: your smartphone isn’t just a tool that you use. It’s a technology that’s forming you to be a certain kind of person.
And not just you—it’s changing the fabric of civilisation itself.
Sounds scary, right?
Before you decide to throw your smartphone in a ditch (or just delete this email), let’s unpack this a bit more—and then consider how we can engage faithfully and wisely with digital technology for God’s glory.
Your smartphone is changing you
All digital technology is designed with certain values—assumptions about what is good, what is desirable, what is efficient, what is profitable.
And the more we use this technology, the more we absorb those values ourselves.
That means that digital technology is never neutral, because it produces in us habits that form us to be a certain kind of person:
It forms the way we think: how we access, read, consume, analyse and evaluate information.
It forms the way we behave: how we live in, interact with and inhabit the world around us.
It forms the way we communicate: how we speak to, engage with and relate to others both online and in real life.
And, most of all, it forms our spiritual life: how attentive and open we are to God’s voice and the work of His Spirit within us.
If that all sounds a bit abstract, let’s consider a few examples:
Search engines are built for speed and efficiency—training us to skim, scan and switch our attention constantly.
Our social media feeds are built to ‘stop the scroll’ and keep us coming back for more—training us to value novelty, entertainment and outrage over nuance and deep understanding.
Our smartphones are built to keep us within constant reach and always accessible—training us to treat every interruption as urgent, fragmenting our attention and making us less present.
Yes—your smartphone is changing you. But does that mean it’s time to throw it away?
Maybe. But not necessarily.
Practising godly wisdom in a digital age
Christian wisdom isn’t just about asking, ‘Can I use this tool for good?’ Instead, we need to ask: ‘What kind of person is this tool making me?’
We need to consider whether our smartphones are helping or harming our growth in our knowledge, love and obedience to God.
We need to ask whether they are contributing to or hindering our formation into the people God wants us to be—people of peace, love, truth, justice and mercy who delight in His ways and live obediently for His Kingdom.
Digital technology is no less than a spiritual battleground—directing your attention, shaping your affections and forming your loves. We must submit instead to the directing, shaping and forming influence of God's Spirit—and fight in His power and strength.
So, today, if you find yourself addicted to your phone, distracted, anxious, distant from people and from God—bring it to Him.
Confess your struggles to the Lord. Ask for His grace in this crucial area. Work to establish healthy boundaries.
It might not mean throwing away your phone altogether—but you may have to take some radical, sacrificial steps to align yourself with God’s good will for your life.
I’m praying that all of us would learn to walk with wisdom and discernment in this crucial area of our discipleship. Let me know how you get on!
Love,
Mike
