In an era saturated with notifications, endless scrolling, and algorithm-driven entertainment, our attention has become one of the most valuable and contested resources. Jacques Ellul, in The Technological Society, warns of how technology reshapes not only our external environment but our very way of being in the world, bending us toward efficiency, consumption, and distraction. Similarly, Adam Noble’s You Are Not Your Own highlights the existential toll of living in a culture where we are constantly performing for an unseen audience, our sense of self eroded by the ceaseless demands of digital life. Together, these works lay bare the challenge of reclaiming our attention in a world that seems determined to engage and fragment it.

The website The Ledger of Harms from the Center for Humane Technology  outlines the psychological and spiritual costs of this digital ecosystem. We find ourselves overstimulated and undernourished, bombarded with information yet increasingly unable to dwell on what truly matters. As Adam Noble argues in Disruptive Witness, the church must bear witness in such a way that cuts through the noise, disrupting the rhythms of distraction and directing hearts and minds toward God.

The Struggle for Attention

Our attention, once a gift to be given, is now a commodity to be harvested. Social media platforms and digital tools are engineered to monopolize our focus, pulling us into an endless loop of clicks, likes, and dopamine hits. As Ellul observed, technology’s power is not neutral; it shapes us into its image. Instead of cultivating deep thought or devotion, our habits are rewired toward shallowness and restlessness.

In the Christian life, the battle for attention is more than a productivity issue, it is a spiritual crisis. Romans 12:1 exhorts believers to present their bodies as a “living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.” This act of worship includes our minds and hearts, which require intentional surrender to God. How can we offer our attention to Him and to others whom we are if it is perpetually consumed by trivialities?

Building our own intentional disruptive habits and disciplines against technology’s via for our attention begins with a few practices that break the spell of distraction and reorient us toward God and to others in real face to face time interactions. These are not merely reactive measures but proactive acts of resistance, signaling that our lives belong not to the economy of attention but to the Kingdom of God and to one another.

1. Bible Reading as Reorientation

Scripture serves as both a mirror and a window, revealing our distracted hearts while offering a vision of God’s glory. Hebrews 4:12 describes the Word of God as “living and active,” capable of piercing through the noise to convict and transform. Regular, unhurried Bible reading disrupts the frenetic pace of modern life, grounding us in truth and restoring our focus. Memorizing scripture can also provide a reservoir of peace and clarity, fortifying our minds against the onslaught of distractions.

2. Sabbath Keeping as Resistance

The Sabbath is an ancient remedy for our modern ailment of busyness. In a culture that idolizes productivity, setting aside a day for rest and worship declares that our identity is not defined by what we produce but by our relationship with the Creator. As Jesus reminded the Pharisees, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). By keeping the Sabbath, we disrupt the technological cycle of constant availability and recalibrate our hearts toward God.

3. Temperance in Technology

Paul’s admonition in 1 Corinthians 6:12 is instructive: “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. I will not be enslaved by anything.” Temperance requires us to evaluate our digital habits and prune what leads us astray. This might involve limiting social media use, turning off notifications, or setting aside screen-free hours each day . These practices, though countercultural, free our minds to dwell on what is excellent and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).

4. The Church as a Community of Attention

The local church serves as a countercultural space where we collectively redirect our focus to God. Gathering with fellow believers disrupts the isolation of digital life and fosters a shared vision of God’s kingdom. Corporate worship, prayer, and mutual accountability provide a rhythm that helps us resist the pull of distraction. In community, we learn to “be still and know” that He is God (Psalm 46:10).

Ultimately, the call to resist digital distraction is a call to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37). This love is not passive but active, requiring the discipline of offering our attention as a living sacrifice. It is an act of faith to turn away from the world’s noise and trust that God will meet us in the quiet.

Jacques Ellul’s prophetic warning, Adam Noble’s disruptive exhortation, and the data insights of the Center for Humane Technology all converge on this central truth: the digital age is not merely a challenge to navigate but a battlefield for our souls.  Paul’s warning in 2 Thessalonians 2:11 is a sobering reminder: “Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false.” In our digitally saturated age, the distractions of technology do more than fracture our attention; they can foster delusions that distort our faith, relationships, and sense of purpose. Digital platforms, while offering incredible tools for communication and connection, also provide fertile ground for counterfeit spirituality and shallow engagement with the world.

Consider how digital distractions can create a false sense of religiosity. Sharing a Bible verse meme or liking a post with a Scripture quote can feel like a spiritual act, but it falls far short of the real, personal engagement with God’s Word that transforms the heart or inviting a neighbor over for dinner to witness and share the gospel to do spiritual battle.   The digital world can fool us into believing we are living out our faith when, in reality, we may be avoiding the hard, often messy work of loving others in tangible ways.

This delusion extends to our advocacy for justice and charity. Sharing a post about a noble cause or expressing outrage over an injustice may feel like taking a stand, but without personal involvement, whether through sacrificial giving, volunteering, or earnest prayer, it is little more than performative activism. James 2:17 warns us that “faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Yet digital platforms can lull us into believing that words alone are enough, and leaving us proud we have done our duty,  all while leaving real needs unmet and real opportunities to serve unfulfilled.

Beyond these examples, the digital realm often reinforces the false promises of identity and self-worth. The curated images of perfect lives on social media can lead us to believe the lie that our value depends on appearances or achievements. Similarly, the endless pursuit of likes, follows, and shares can breed a delusion that our worth is tied to the approval of others rather than our identity in Christ, who loved us and gave Himself for us (Galatians 2:20).

Worst of all, digital distractions can numb our awareness of eternal realities. The constant stream of entertainment and information drowns out the still, small voice of God calling us to repentance, worship, and mission.  We lack time to deeply read and meditate, to listen for the still small voice of God in our daily activity. This delusion may not be as blatant as rejecting the truth, but it is no less dangerous since it drowns out the voice of truth and hinders it from even reaching us as we have turned our ears and our attention away. It lulls us into complacency, causing us to believe that there is always more time to seek God and prioritize His kingdom. Yet Scripture warns us, “The night is far gone; the day is at hand” (Romans 13:12).

If we are not vigilant, digital distractions can shape our hearts to love what is false and neglect what is true. This is why we must fight to reclaim our attention for God. Let us not be content with the illusions of spirituality, advocacy, or connection offered by social media platforms that are mere distractions. Instead, let us be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2), offering our lives as living sacrifices to the One who is the Truth.

In a world bent on leading us astray, may we remain diligent in our devotion, resisting the delusions of distraction and walking in the light of God’s Word.