As part of a course at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California, we asked 22 graduate students to select something from which to abstain for 30 days.

Nearly 90% of the class chose social media — and all of them subsequently confessed to relapsing multiple times during their digital fast.

Both their desire and struggle are relatable. Together, this class discovered the perilous and powerful pull of social media.

Context Collapse

One student, Sophia, shared her experience of relapsing after finishing a long day of counseling clients.

Feeling emotionally depleted and seeking temporary relief, Sophia scrolled through her social media feed. The diversion began with videos of adorable dogs, followed by a post about exotic fruits.

Next, Sophia saw a series of posts about a controversial social issue, then aggressive confrontations between political opponents and angry neighbors.

After an hour of scrolling, Sophia put down her phone, feeling more fatigued than before. Yet she returned to social media only an hour later.

Sophia’s experience is typical. Social media engineering utilizes behavioral psychology strategies. Like a slot machine, algorithms offer rewards and intermittent reinforcement.

Social media creates a phenomenon called context collapse. The feed flattens the human experience — tragedy, joy, silliness, and conflict — into a single stream. This forces the brain to move from adrenaline (sudden surges of energy) to oxytocin (good feelings) to cortisol (stress) without pause.

This mix creates a reinforcement schedule, the same mechanism that draws people to casinos.

At some point, social media users are no longer choosing to scroll, but compulsively looking for something positive to counter the last negative experience.

In Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked, author Adam Alter says, “There are a thousand people on the other side of the screen whose job it is to break down the self-regulation you have.”

Social Paradox

Of course, social media can be an effective tool for connecting and exchanging information.

Platforms enable family members to see a baby’s first steps from across the country. Churches use social media to disseminate information to congregants and livestream services.

At the same time, social media can keep us from connecting with others and engaging in spiritual disciplines. It threatens to crowd out self-reflection, connection with God, and Spirit-led discernment.

In an ever-changing world, Scripture offers timeless truths for refocusing on what matters most. The biblical principles of stillness, selah, sabbath, and shalom offer a path for navigating today’s digital landscape without losing our way.

Stillness

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” The Hebrew word for stillness here, rapha, describes a state of release — a cessation of striving under one’s own power.

This command is not merely about silence or a lack of physical movement, but a settling into God’s presence and truth.

Theologian Thomas Merton put it this way: “To be silent is to stop the False Self from talking.”

Fasting social media or reducing usage is an opportunity to refocus on God and reconnect with people in authentic ways. Trading screen time for quality time can lead to a greater sense of spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being.

Selah

The term “selah” occurs 74 times in the Old Testament, primarily in Psalms.

While the meaning of this word is not completely clear, many scholars suggest it is an interlude for pausing to consider something more deeply.

Trading screen 
time for quality 
time can lead to 
a greater sense of 
spiritual, physical, 
and emotional 
well-being.

If this interpretation is correct, selah reminds us to remain present in the moment as we reflect on God’s goodness.

Even during worship, we can slip into patterns of simply going through the motions. But when we pause to consider God’s wondrous work in our lives, we find renewed strength for the journey.

Social media lulls us into mindlessness through conditioning and visual stimulation. We lose track of time while watching videos or doom scrolling, only to realize it was a hollow experience.

The practice of selah is the opposite of this mindlessness. It is a call to engage the world meaningfully, as thinking, sensing, and relating agents made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27).

In selah, we stop to consider — and break the cycle.

Sabbath

Sabbath literally means “rest.” God established the pattern at creation by resting from His work on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2–3).

To the ancient Israelites who had been toiling as slaves in Egypt, the institution of Sabbath was a welcome change (Exodus 20:8–11). It was a joyful reminder that God, not their former Egyptian masters, was in control. They were living in covenant with a merciful Lord.

Every seventh day was set apart for God, providing time for reflecting on His goodness and benevolent care. Each was a reminder that the outcome of their lives depended on God, not their labor (Psalm 127:1–2).

The earliest Christian communities changed their day of rest and worship from Saturday to Sunday in recognition of Christ’s resurrection. Nevertheless, they endeavored to preserve this concept. We should, too.

Within this one-in-seven cycle, we should rest and cease from striving. We have a good Master who calls us to himself and delivers us from every snare. This includes the new tyranny of social media that, left unchecked, can become a despot in our lives.

Shalom

The Hebrew shalom and its Greek equivalent, eiréné, are typically translated as “peace” in Scripture. More than an inner state of calm, this peace reflects harmony with God, fellow humans, and even nature itself.

Shalom takes us back to Eden, before sin, suffering, and striving entered the picture.

This is the kind of peace Jesus invites us to embrace in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

The apostle Paul builds on this, instructing believers not to be anxious about anything, but to present their needs to God prayerfully and with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6).

Filling our minds with things that lead to a state of dysfunction, panic, and frenzy robs us of God’s peace. This describes much of the content social media algorithms churn out.

In place of fear, anxiety, restlessness, and endless noise, Jesus offers peace in His presence.

Positive Change

You don’t have to log off social media entirely to reduce its influence. Start with a few simple steps to establish healthier boundaries and reclaim time for connecting with God and others.

Replace your afternoon or evening scrolling with a low-stimulation activity, such as reading a physical book, journaling, or engaging in a selah moment of prayer and reflection.

This allows you to relax mentally, moving from a cortisol-driven state to one of stillness.

Use screen time settings to restrict apps or set time limits on your smartphone.

For one full day, limit your phone usage to calls and texts only.

Even short breaks from social media can improve attention span and overall well-being, moving you toward the natural world and face-to-face socialization.

Perform a social media audit. Unfollow or mute accounts that drive you toward fear, outrage, or confusion. Replace them with sources that encourage prayer, petition, gratitude, and peace.

The apostle Paul said, “The mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6).

May the Spirit, rather than algorithms, govern our minds. And may we truly experience the fullness of life and peace God desires for us.

This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of Influence magazine.