A recent study was done on teens to see if they could handle being without their screens. The researchers conducting the study agreed to pull the plug if it got dangerous. The results? “Only three of the 68 participants reached the end of the experiment. Three had suicidal thoughts. Five experienced intense panic attacks. Twenty-seven experienced symptoms such as nausea, sweating, dizziness, hot flashes and abdominal pain. Almost everyone had feelings of fear and anxiety.”
We’ve all heard the myth that some people are great multi-taskers, but studies have actually shown this to be false! The more we do at once, the less we are giving to each thing. We aren’t actually operating at our greatest capacity because we aren’t focusing whole heartedly on anything. Our brains only have so much bandwidth. If your attention is being ever drawn to a screen…that means it’s being drawn away from life all around you.
Here’s my screen detox challenge: Unplug at every meal, AND, unplug every Sunday. You’ll survive. I promise. Test it out and see how God can work through you when you are focused and present during these hours.