Over Consumption?

In 2021, the average American spent 463 minutes (7.5 hours) per day with media.[1]

Before we move on, re-read that line and dwell on it for a minute.

We know the average person is nearly always on their phone, scrolling, avoiding awkward small talk conversations with others, and will probably watch Netflix tonight when they get home (probably while still scrolling at the same time), but really? How did we get to 7.5 hours per day?

As I have spent the last few years studying “formation,” or how one is influenced, shaped, or changed, I’ve come to a few conclusions. The first is that I’m convinced that nearly everything we watch, listen to, or stream shapes us somehow. It may be desensitizing, normalizing, affirming, opposing, etc., but it always shapes our thoughts and beliefs, forming our perspectives and worldviews.

As a Christian leader who helps others know Jesus, I am deeply invested in how we come to believe what we do. Let’s say the most dedicated Christian comes to church every Sunday. There, they experience God’s family in community, God’s Word through worship, and God’s grace through the presence of the Spirit and the sacraments. Sundays are incredible, but in total, that would make up 4 hours of their month.

In that same month, they will be awake for a total of 461 hours.

That means that Sunday morning church makes up around .86% of their life.

Holding these statistics side by side reveals why Christian leaders get frustrated. Sometimes we wonder why people can passionately quote the rhetoric of their favorite news channel but can’t recall the red letters of Jesus. We shouldn’t be surprised.

The answer is not as simple as shutting your eyes while driving to not see the billboard, never opening your computer at work so you won’t see ads, or going analog with a phone so old you can play snake on it. (Shout out to those of us who had that Nokia phone where we became the masters of Snake.) We were not called as Christians to live in a holy huddle away from the world. Jesus didn’t pray for us to be taken out of the world. (John 17)

Instead, we are to be faithful witnesses to the new abundant life found in Jesus, showing the world how God transforms us by the renewing of our minds to become who he has created us to be. This transformation, living in obedience to the indwelling Holy Spirit, should change our filter of how we receive media and also help us choose which media to engage with.

But let me ask you – as a Christian, is your media consumption pattern any different than someone who is not a Christian? Or, let me ask you a better question, perhaps, are you personally tired of over-consumption?

Research today suggests that part of the rise of the mental health crisis in America is connected to our media use. It is directly correlated with anxiety, depression, and social phobias.

Having everything at the tip of a thumb that never stops scrolling may be entertaining, but it’s terrible for our long-term mental health and short-circuits our brains.

There is so much more to be written on this subject, but for now, I want to end with a humble ask, that may feel like an imposing challenge:

This week, practice restraint and discipline.

I challenge you to turn off your different mediums of media just for one week and watch your behavior.

Yes, log out, don’t open it, and don’t turn it on. (I promise the world will still be there when you return.) Then, notice how often you pull your phone back out of your pocket. Notice how often you reach for the remote again. Notice how quickly you become bored. Notice how much free time you really do have when you aren’t just sitting and staring.

In today’s world, maybe a little boredom is good. It causes us to be creative, pushes us to connect with people, and causes us to slow down enough to be present in the moment.

Honestly, we are all “busy,” but in reality, few people are busy; they simply fill their time with things that waste their time. Those who accomplish much and have free time are those who have prioritized what is most important and turned off the rest of the noise. If you turn it off for a week, you might be surprised how much free time you really do have.

Here is what I know – very few people take me up on a challenge like this. Yet, those who do, don’t regret it and change at least a few of their habits, rhythms, and patterns afterward.

Before you write it off and don’t try it, let me remind you:

“Almost everything you want is on the other side of something you would rather not do or are currently unwilling to do.”