How to Fight Phone Addiction 

Around 50% of Americans are addicted to their phone and on average a person checks their phone 58 times a day. The average time spent on their phone is 4.5 hours a day. 

We all know that we check our phones too much, but it seems like a harmless habit—a way for us to turn off from the world for a little bit and disconnect.

My problem is that this disconnect often leads to disassociation, where I disengage from my responsibilities and real life. I don’t want to do my real life and quickly get sucked into my phone. Can you relate? Have you procrastinated washing the dishes because the videos on your phone kept you scrolling? 

The addictive nature of scrolling mimics that of a slot machine. You keep scrolling because you think the next video is going to be better. Just like a person at a slot machine thinks the next pull will be their lucky break. 

Without realizing it, all of your free time is gone. 

Today, I realized that I didn’t want to walk up the stairs without watching videos on TikTok. I didn’t want to eat breakfast without entertainment. It’s like my brain wanted constant stimulation. 

And we know it’s bad for us. When I’m in the depths of my addiction I don’t even have the attention span for TV shows or movies because they are too slow compared to the dopamine hit of video after video. 

So today, I am convicted that my phone needs to be less important. How many times have we said we didn’t have time to read our bible, but our daily screen time is 4 hours? I know I have. 

You shall have no other gods before me. ~ Exodus 20:3 

Back in biblical times, the attention of the Israelites was taken away by false gods, but in today’s times, our attention is taken away by our phones, and a multitude of other distractions that are vying for our attention. 

Recognizing the Problem 

Hopefully, you can come to see the problem in your life before it gets as extreme as mine. 

Do you tell your kids to wait for you so you can continue to scroll on your phone?

Do your kids see the back of your phone more than the front of your face? 

Are you ashamed of your average screen time when the report comes on Sunday? 

Do you think your phone comes before other relationships in your life? 

At the end of the day are you upset with how much you accomplished or got done, when the majority of it was spent doom scrolling on your phone? 

Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. ~ 1 John 5:21 

Shifting Priorities to Glorify God 

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” ~ Matthew 22:37 

God does want some of your heart or a little bit of your mind, he wants it all. 

And if our mind is constantly preoccupied with thoughts of the next funny video, or what our friends are posting, then we might not have the space to set our mind on Christ. 

Practical Steps to Break Free

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16)

Since I am in the depths of it, here is how I plan to overcome my phone addiction. I encourage you to search your heart and see if you need to do the same.

Find a place to set your phone down and treat it like a landline for specific periods of the day. Turn on the ringer so you can receive calls, but treat that time like you live in the 1990s. They survived, and hopefully, we can too. 

Turn your phone on greyscale. This surprised me the most because it makes your phone less visually appealing, and somehow this makes your brain less attracted to it. I have found it helpful for making my phone less appealing to look at for long periods.

When you feel tempted to scroll, open the Bible app instead. It’s still technically screen time but it’s much more fruitful. 

Smart watches can be a great tool so that you won’t fear missing phone calls or texts, but you can’t be tempted by the endless scrolling or social media. Amazon has some options that are closer to $20 rather than investing $300 in a brand-name watch. 

Accountability 

Ah yes, one of the favorite Christian words. Get some accountability. Find a friend. It’s easier to do it together. 

Unfortunately, it’s a cliche because it works. And it wouldn’t be an accountability talk without this verse: 

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17)

Closing Thoughts 

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” ~1 Corinthians 10:31

How we use our time is immensely important, and can drastically impact so many parts of our lives. 

Here’s the benefits of breaking phone addiction: 

• Less anxiety and stress 
• Help you think more clearly 
• Deeper connections with others 
• Sharper critical thinking and creativity 
• More gratitude 
• A healthier body 

However, the spiritual blessings are even greater, as we can deepen our relationship with the Lord and use our time for his glory. 

Think critically about how your time is spent and you will reap the benefits over and over again.