A few weeks ago, I caught myself doomscrolling for an hour. Not reading anything insightful, not engaging in a meaningful conversation—just letting my eyeballs slide across an endless feed of hot takes, influencer drama and algorithmically curated nonsense. At some point, I realized I hadn’t blinked in an unnatural amount of time. This wasn’t entertainment. This was digital hypnosis.
Welcome to the Attention Economy, where your focus isn’t just a personal resource—it’s a multi-billion-dollar commodity. Companies aren’t just hoping you’ll spend time on their apps; they are actively engineering them to keep you hooked. And it’s working.
Studies show the average American spends nearly seven hours a day looking at screens, with much of that time going to social media. That’s almost half our waking hours—and, let’s be honest, probably more if you count those “quick” TikTok breaks that turn into 45-minute deep dives into why ancient Roman concrete was superior.
But it’s not just our time we’re losing. Our ability to focus, our creativity and even our spiritual lives are taking a hit. And if we’re not careful, we’ll look up one day and realize we’ve handed over our attention—our most valuable resource—to an algorithm that does not love us back.
“The apps we use daily are designed to keep us engaged, not necessarily to enrich our lives,” says Dr. Gloria Mark, author of Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity. “The more time we spend scrolling, the more ad revenue companies generate. It’s a system built to exploit our psychological weaknesses.”
In other words, if you’ve ever felt like it’s nearly impossible to pull yourself away from Instagram, that’s because it was literally built that way. Every notification, every infinite scroll, every autoplay feature—these aren’t conveniences. They are addictive design tactics meant to keep us glued to our screens.
And it’s working. A study from the University of California found that the average person’s attention span on a single task has shrunk to just 47 seconds before we switch to something else. That means you might not even make it to the end of this article without checking a text, opening a new tab or getting distracted by a phantom notification (you know, when you think your phone buzzed but it didn’t? Yeah, that’s real.).
If you’re wondering what all this is doing to our mental and spiritual health, the answer is… nothing good.
When Jesus invited people to “Come, follow me,” He didn’t say, “Come, check in when it’s convenient.” Following Jesus requires intentionality, reflection and—wait for it—undistracted time. And yet, for many of us, spending five minutes in prayer feels impossible when there’s a perfectly good reel to watch of a golden retriever befriending a duck.
According to a Barna study, more than half of practicing Christians admit to feeling too distracted in their daily lives to focus on their spiritual growth. And when we’re constantly bouncing between content, our brains don’t get the space to process, reflect or even hear from God.
“We don’t just consume content anymore—we’re submerged in it,” says John Mark Comer, author of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. “It’s no wonder we struggle to hear God’s voice when we’ve filled every quiet moment with digital noise.”
Even when we know we should be setting boundaries, we justify our habits:
— “I need social media to stay connected.”
— “I’ll just watch one more episode.”
— “I’ll read my Bible after I check my notifications.”
And yet, these small compromises snowball. A little lost time here, a little fractured attention there—and suddenly, we’re spending more time worshipping the Algorithm than seeking God’s presence.
How to Steal Your Attention Back
So, how do we reclaim our focus without going full Amish? Here are a few practical ways to break free from the digital chokehold:
- Take a Tech Sabbath
Pick a day—or at least a few hours—each week where you unplug. No social media, no doomscrolling. Just real life. “We need time away from digital noise to recalibrate our souls,” says Comer.
- Turn Off Non-Essential Notifications
Your phone does not need to buzz every time someone likes your tweet. Go to your settings. Turn them off. Thank me later.
- Replace, Don’t Just Remove
It’s not enough to just delete Instagram for a week. Fill that space with something better—reading, journaling, actual face-to-face conversation (wild, I know).
- Create Screen-Free Zones
Your bed, your dinner table, your quiet time with God—these should be sacred spaces. The phone can wait.
- Read More
Seriously. Your attention span will thank you. Studies show that deep reading (as opposed to skimming) helps rebuild focus and cognitive function. Plus, it’s nice to finish something longer than a tweet.
- Ask Yourself: ‘Is This Helping Me Become Who God Called Me to Be?’
Not every app is bad, but we should be aware of how we’re using them. Is your phone a tool or a master? If it’s shaping your habits more than you are, it might be time for a reset.
The Attention Economy thrives on mindless consumption, but we weren’t made to be passive consumers. As followers of Christ, we are called to be present, intentional and aware. It’s time to reclaim our focus, our time and, most importantly, our souls. The algorithm won’t love you back—but God will.
