It's Time for a Digital Blackout

I knew I might be a candidate for a Digital Blackout a few weeks ago when while engaged in Sunday School at Church I found myself reaching for my cell phone rather than the physical Bible resting on the back of the church bench just in front of me. I actually felt more comfortable peeling back my purse zipper, gently reaching inside and discretely sliding my cell phone out and opening my Bible App.

I use my cell phone frequently for everyday simple tasks as well as solving complex problems. My cell is much more than a phone to me, it has come to feel like a natural extension of myself. When I reached for my cell instead of the physical Bible, I knew I might have a digital problem. As I opened the Bible App and very quickly arrived at the passage the Pastor referenced, I caught myself thinking how smart I was to have located the biblical verse within a few clicks. I stood waiting for my fellow parishioners to locate the verse, and listened to the pages of multiple Bibles rustling back and forth as some had minor challenges locating the content.

As a waited, I briefly contemplated if I had become too dependent on my technology. I wondered if church was an appropriate place to use a cell phone, even if I used it to access a Bible App, especially when I had so many physical Bibles available to me. Although I grew up in the church I no longer felt entirely comfortable navigating a physical Bible. Interestingly, a few weeks earlier I noticed a church leader using her cell phone to participate in the responsive reading. When I saw her using her cell phone rather than a traditional Bible I recall initially experiencing a judgment, yes a judgment... It just didn't feel "right" to me in that moment that a leader would be openly using her cell to read aloud a response to God's word. When I caught myself, I genuinely felt embarrassed. I know technology has facilitated our learning and engagement on multiple levels in a variety of settings.


Although I embrace technology for its user friendly, responsive, accessible use anywhere and anytime, I do believe I may be a bit too dependent. This coming Sunday I intend to unplug and engage in a 24 hour partial "Digital Blackout". During my 24 hour partial digital blackout I will abstain from mobile technology; I will not use my cell phone, iPad, or laptop. This brief detox from technology will be a big step for me given how much technology has become an integral part of my life. My cell phone has become my friend who entertains me whenever I am bored, find myself in an uneasy situation, or simply need to disengage. It is for these reasons and others that I must do a better job reconnecting with myself and those around me; therefore, without hesitation "it's time for a digital blackout"!