At a Women’s Conference last month, I was fascinated by a workshop on ‘Faith in the Digital Age‘ with Dr. Susanna Davies, founder of PAPAYA (Parents Against Phone Addiction in Young Adolescents). Dr. Susanna asked us to consider our own digital habits and the impact they were having on our mental and spiritual wellbeing. Her talk inspired me to do further research and reflection. Since then, I’ve pored over several books, made copious notes, and brought it up in conversation more than once! If like me, you think it worth exploring further, here are some resources that will help you consider the impact of your digital habits on your walk with the Lord:

Digital Habits – An Exercise

To begin, let’s consider a few practical questions about your digital habits:

• Each morning, which do you tend to give your attention to first, your phone or your Heavenly Father?
• If you find yourself with a couple of minutes to spare in your day, do you feel a need to fill that time and if so, how do you fill it?
• Do you frequently ask your children to “wait a minute” because you are in the middle of something, on your phone?
• How well accustomed are you, as a follower of Christ, to being still, in the presence of God? If you find this difficult, how can you better practice this?

Digital Habits – Books

Some books share concerning statistics, some suggest helpful boundaries and some dive deep into spiritual matters.

12 WAYS YOUR PHONE IS CHANGING YOU BY TONY REINKE

Tony Reinke shares, what I believe to be, twelve thought-provoking reflections on the potential impact of our digital habits on our walk with the Lord. Amongst other things, he discusses distraction, connection, fear of missing out, desire for approval, and our tendency to skim things at lightening speed.

This book does not present superficial solutions in a one-size-fits-all manner, but rather encourages you to give serious consideration to how and why your smartphone could be affecting you and your relationship with the Lord. It gets to the root of several potential issues and I found it a comprehensive and helpful read. I found myself asking why I am so easily distracted, what approval I seek, and what the Word of God says about these things. If you want to delve deep into the impact of your digital habits this book would be my number one recommendation!

THE TECH-WISE FAMILY BY ANDY CROUCH

In this popular book, Andy Crouch shares ten suggestions, over the course of ten chapters, for managing the impact of technology within a family. Some ideas focus on family culture, such as exploring creative pursuits, while other suggestions are very practical, such as ‘using screens together for a purpose’ or ‘devices go to bed before we do’.

Although many of the ideas presented in this book are things we already implement in our home, I did find the statistics backing them up to be very interesting. This book does exactly what it says; “provide everyday steps for putting technology in it’s proper place.” I found it to be a quick, practical and enjoyable read. However, the more I study this topic the more I feel convinced that setting boundaries without addressing the spiritual need, is only so helpful.

BORN FREE: A CALL TO BE STILL, KNOW GOD AND FLOURISH IN A HECTIC WORLD BY KATHARINE HILL

In this book, Katharine Hill, UK Director of Care for the Family, shares her own relatable experiences as a busy mother of four. I read (and enjoyed) this book because it was recommended at the workshop that set me on this journey. However, the focus of this book is finding stillness in a hectic world, and it only has two chapters on digital habits. If you think an inability to rest is one of your struggles, this book could be helpful to you. However, I think The Art of Rest: Faith to Hit Pause in a World that Never Stops by Adam Mabry is an excellent and inspiring alternative.

COMPETING SPECTACLES: TREASURING CHRIST IN THE MEDIA AGE BY TONY REINKE

Tony Reinke defines a spectacle as “something that captures human attention, an instant when our eyes and brains focus and fixate on something projected at us.” He discusses various spectacles that vie for our hearts; such as politics, social media, movies, and scandals, and explains that they all want “our time, our outrage, our attention, our hearts, our wallets, and of course, our votes”.

In a world, where we are bombarded by media, particularly digital media, Reinke reminds the reader to keep their eyes on Jesus, the “Superior Spectacle”. While his previous book ‘12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You‘ focuses specifically on the smartphone, this book covers the wider topic of media. Both books delve deeply into how our digital habits impact our spiritual walk and I highly recommend both.

I see that Tony Reinke has also written God, Technology and the Christian life, which focuses on technological advancement, which looks like another interesting read. Though this is one I am yet to tackle!

BRAVING THE FUTURE: CHRISTIAN FAITH IN A WORLD OF LIMITLESS TECH BY DOUGLAS ESTES

This book is next on my list! However, it appears to focus more on technological advancement than an individual’s digital habits.

Summary

So, if you have the time and interest to delve into this topic, (and I hope you do!) I recommend both books from Tony Reinke. They are well worth mulling over. I will probably host friends from church for an evening to discuss ‘12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You.’

Let me know, in the comments below, which book sounds most interesting to you.

If you are looking for other books recommendations, take a look at this article on ‘The Best Missionary Biographies for Kids’.