Are We Living in a Time of Mass Distraction? (Spoiler: Yes.)
If you’ve ever opened your phone to “check one thing,” blinked, and somehow it’s been 47 minutes… welcome. You’re not broken. You’re living in an era that’s built to keep you scattered. And yes, from a Christian lens a lot of it functions exactly like spiritual warfare, because distraction doesn’t just steal time.
It steals:
focus
peace
discernment
prayer
depth
relationships
and honestly… your ability to hear God without static.
So let’s talk about it thoroughly, including the “this feels conspiratorial” stuff but in a way that stays grounded, wise, and biblical.
The world isn’t just loud. It’s engineered to be loud.
There’s a term for it: the attention economy; the idea that your attention is the product, and platforms compete to capture it. Organizations like the Center for Humane Technology talk plainly about “persuasive design” features (endless scroll, likes, notifications) that keep people checking, craving, and coming back. Center for Humane Technology+1
And it’s not only “because phones are fun.” It’s because your attention equals money.
So the system gets better and better at:
keeping you slightly bothered
keeping you slightly curious
keeping you slightly afraid
keeping you slightly angry
keeping you slightly hooked
That’s not a tinfoil-hat statement. That’s the business model. And when you zoom out, it becomes obvious: the goal isn’t your wholeness. The goal is your engagement.
Distraction is a perfect enemy tactic
Scripture doesn’t have to use the word “algorithm” to describe what’s happening. The Bible already warned us about an enemy who prowls, seeks to devour, and loves chaos:
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion…” (1 Peter 5:8)
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” (Romans 12:2)
“Above all else, guard your heart…” (Proverbs 4:23)
One of the easiest ways to keep a believer powerless is not always sin in the dramatic sense.
Sometimes it’s:
exhaustion
overstimulation
confusion
constant outrage
constant noise
Because a distracted Christian is a drained Christian. And a drained Christian is easier to push around.
“Mass distraction” has layers (and yes, some look conspiracy-adjacent)
Let’s name the big buckets, because once you can identify them, you can fight smarter.
1) Outrage cycles (anger as a leash)
If the enemy can keep you mad, he can keep you reactive.
Hot takes train the soul to respond fast not pray first. And outrage is addictive because it gives you a rush of “I care about truth!” while quietly eroding your peace.
2) Doomscrolling (fear as a fog)
Harvard Health has written about doomscrolling and how it can be an “insidious threat” to mind and body and how constant exposure to negative news can mess with stress and mood. Harvard Health
Fear is spiritually costly. Not because we never feel it, but because staying in it warps discernment.
3) Conspiracy rabbit holes (confusion disguised as “discernment”)
Here’s where I’m going to be really careful and really honest: Sometimes Christians can confuse discernment with suspicion.
Discernment asks:
“Is this true?”
“Is this fruitful?”
“What evidence exists?”
“Does this produce peace and clarity?”
“Does this align with God’s character?”
Suspicion asks:
“What if everyone is lying?”
“What if everything is a cover-up?”
“What if I’m the only one awake?”
And you can get trapped in endless “connecting dots” until your life becomes a nonstop spiritual adrenaline loop. Even when something could be shady, you still have to ask:
Is this verifiable?
Is this wise to spread?
Is this bearing good fruit in me?
Because the enemy doesn’t mind you “researching” for six hours if it keeps you from praying for six minutes.
4) Sexualization + consumerism (appetite hijacking)
If your mind is constantly fed lust, envy, comparison, impulse shopping, and “you need this to be enough,” your spirit gets dulled. Not because God is fragile, but because you’re constantly being discipled by desire.
5) Endless micro-content (shallow inputs, shallow outputs)
Short-form content is not automatically evil. But it can train you to live in fragments: a verse here, a clip there, a headline there… with no depth, no context, no stillness. And the Word of God is not meant to be consumed like snacks only. It’s bread. It’s substance.
“But is it really affecting mental health?”
Yes, and we have growing evidence that changing phone access changes how people feel and function.
A large randomized controlled trial published in PNAS Nexus (Feb 2025) found that blocking mobile internet on smartphones for two weeks improved mental health, subjective well-being, and sustained attention; the paper also notes most participants improved on at least one outcome. OUP Academic
So when you feel like your brain is cooked after too much scrolling… you’re not imagining it. The inputs matter.
Christian voices are starting to talk about this for a reason
A growing number of Christian teachers and pastors have been sounding the alarm about distraction, discipleship, and attention, not as a trend, but as a pastoral concern.
Pastors like Josh Howerton, Senior Pastor of Lakepointe Church, have consistently pointed out that spiritual formation doesn’t happen accidentally. What we give our time, attention, and emotional energy to will shape us for better or for worse. Discipleship isn’t only about what you believe; it’s about what repeatedly has access to your mind and heart.
You don’t have to outsource your thinking to anyone online Christian or not. But it’s worth paying attention to this shared concern across the Church: more believers are waking up to the reality that attention itself is a spiritual battleground. What holds your focus will, over time, shape your faith.
How to fight back (without becoming weird about it)
Here’s a simple, non-dramatic plan that works in real life.
1) Pray this first (seriously)
“Lord, show me what is stealing my peace. Show me what is stealing my focus. Teach me how to guard my mind.”
Because spiritual warfare isn’t only “rebuking.” Sometimes it’s realignment.
2) Audit your inputs (one-day experiment)
For one day, write down:
what you watched
what you read
what made you anxious
what made you angry
what made you compare
what made you feel closer to God
You’ll see patterns fast.
3) Cut the top 3 thieves
Not 30 things. Just 3.
one account
one app habit
one “topic loop” you spiral in
Start there.
4) Put Scripture where your thumb lives
Home screen. Lock screen. Notes widget. Whatever. Because you will default to what is easiest.
5) Replace, don’t just remove
If you only remove scroll time, you’ll crawl back to it. Replace it with:
a short walk
a worship playlist
a chapter of a gospel
journaling prayers
one real conversation
6) Ask the fruit question
Before you share something “exposing” or “shocking,” ask:
Does this produce fear or faith?
Does this produce confusion or clarity?
Does this help people pray, love, act wisely?
Is it true, or just thrilling?
A gentle but firm conclusion
Yes, we are living in a time of mass distraction. And it’s not just “society is busy.” It’s that many systems are designed to keep you:
scattered
reactive
fatigued
formed by noise
But you’re not powerless. Jesus is not competing with an algorithm because He’s weaker. He’s competing because He’s worth your attention. And sometimes the most rebellious, spiritual thing you can do in 2025 is:
be still. be watchful. guard your mind and choose depth over dopamine.
