When Phones Attack

I recently got coffee with a friend who’s moved away from the area. He’s a computer guy and works for a company that contracts with the U.S. military. As you might imagine, his work is pretty proprietary and is considered classified.

His work is important. If he and his team allow for mistakes in the solutions they provide, or if sensitive information leaks, the safety of our service men and women is in jeopardy—not to mention all of us they protect.

My friend said one of the restrictions placed upon his team is that they aren’t allowed to bring any personal device that can connect to the internet onto the work floor. They must lock their phones, smartwatches, and tablets at the door.

One would assume that this would prompt a great deal of frustration among the employees. To go more than 30 minutes without “checking your phone” is a challenge for many these days. But my friend was eager to share how liberated he has felt and how productively his team operates due to this rule.

When I heard about this policy, I immediately had two thoughts.

First, I’m glad the military and their subs are fresh, alert, and dedicated to excellence. I can’t think of a more appropriate workforce within which focus should be a priority. We all benefit from their dedication.

Second, this reminded me that we’re at our best when we’re untethered to a world of rapid notifications and distraction-escapes.

For someone like Cal Newport, unplugging is a cheat code for success. In today’s world, where virtually no one is removed from the internet for more than a few moments, those who “train” themselves for analog (non-digital) endurance will rise to the top.

Newport’s thesis may be accurate, but as Christians, we know a more profound truth is at play. God did not intend for this world to consume our attention. Yes, God assigned us to be attentive to this world as its stewards and caretakers. But, the things of the world should only captivate us insofar as they might redirect our attention to the Creator and increase our affection for Him.

Are some of my pings strengthening my devotion to God? Perhaps.

I use a prayer app that prompts me throughout the day. My reminders app does something similar. I visit the ESV app regularly in meetings. I’ve got an entire “folder” of apps on my iPhone labeled “Faith” that houses a handful of tools for our church and my personal spiritual growth. And, of course, given my line of work, most of my emails are tied to Christianity.

But, even still, are the majority of my notifications causing me to deepen my awe for Jesus? Likely not. And even if they were, is the constant barrage of “good notifications” healthy for my limited-bandwidth brain? If I’m not careful, my notifications (both trivial and value-add) can make demands of my time and attention—each working to convince me of an urgency that doesn’t always exist. And I let them.

I’m guessing that’s the same for you.

Psalm 104:34 says, “May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD.”

Our walk with Christ calls us to abide in such a way that it feels like breathing—natural and rhythmic and intertwined throughout our day.

Have you observed the new age “meditation” movement? Sometimes, it entails really unhelpful chants or a loosely spiritual invitation to “free your mind” (please avoid these). On the other hand, sometimes these meditation tools are simply breathing guides—to help calm and rest your otherwise frenetic body and mind.

Meditation is helpful, yet there is something to be said about Scripture’s emphasis on intentional focus on the Lord. It feels wrong to say that abiding is work because it’s ultimately more like rest, but we can’t escape the extreme intentionality that’s needed.

An honest assessment of our day-to-day lives might event suggest we are functionally abiding in our phone notifications. Our phones are buzzing and chirping as if they are set to the cadence of our inhale and exhale.

As we progress step by step into the Information Age, the call to abide in Christ simply isn’t getting easier.

So, we must become diligent. Our devices and notifications may help us grow and learn as disciples, but we need focus to abide. We need digital freedom. We need to say no.

Put your phone in a drawer (or simply face DOWN on the desk).
Set up a “Do Not Disturb” schedule on your phone.
Radically turn off all notifications on your smartwatch.
Set a time limit for social media or similar time stealers.
Turn off your home internet router for periods (and then set your phone to airplane mode).
Go analog when you can.

Let’s apply the cheat code.