I Refuse!
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I refuse to allow technology to train me to skim rather than read, to steal my ability to think and concentrate, or to control my attention and focus.
I refuse to allow technology to steal time from Bible reading and prayer.
I refuse to allow AI to write for me.
I refuse to allow my phone to steal time from others who deserve my full attention.
I refuse to let algorithms control my reading choices and confine me to an intellectual bubble.
I refuse to allow the rage machines of social media and news to feed anger, hatred, anxiety, and fear into my life.
What about you?
Habits to Take Back Control
Here are some simple things you can do to take back control, if you really want to.
Phone out of the bedroom. Charge it in another room overnight.
No screens first or last. Begin and end each day with Scripture, prayer, or quiet reflection before touching a device.
Kill notifications. Turn off all alerts except calls, calendar events, and messages from people who matter.
Check on schedule. Look at your phone two or three times per hour, not every time it buzzes.
One tab, one task. Close everything unrelated to the work in front of you.
Read long. Thirty minutes with a book, uninterrupted.
Device-free meals. No phones at the table.
Turn off the news. Limit news consumption to once or twice a day from a single reliable source. Constant news feeds anxiety, not understanding.
Stop doomscrolling. If you catch yourself endlessly scrolling social media or news, put the phone down and walk away. The algorithm is designed to hold you. Recognize the trap.
Weekly technology sabbath. Go entirely offline for a portion of one day each week.
Cap social media. Use screen time limits or delete the apps from your phone entirely.
Walk without earbuds. Let your mind be quiet. Boredom is where reflection begins.
Technology is a tool. When it dictates your attention, your time, and your inner life, the relationship has reversed. These small, repeated choices restore it to its proper order.