Can You Use Social Media Without Being Consumed? A Lent Reset

Can You Use Social Media Without Being Consumed?

The other night, I sat down to reply to a text.

That was it. Simple mission.

Within minutes, Instagram was open. I was scrolling. And I hadn’t even responded yet.

You know the story.

You pick up your phone to check the weather, send a quick reply, maybe glance at your calendar… and 30 minutes later, you’ve watched two reels, checked three comments, and somehow ended up deep in the art of making pickle dip. IYKYK.

When you write it out, it’s almost ridiculous.

Where is my control?

That question has been circling my mind lately, especially as I think about social media and what it’s doing to our attention, our values, and even our faith.

Is It Possible to Use Social Media Without Getting Caught Up in It?

I recently listened to The Diary of a CEO podcast, where Steven Bartlett interviewed Jonathan Haidt and Dr. Aditi Nerurkar about how TikTok and similar apps are changing our brains. Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation, explains how social media is changing the chemistry of our brains.

Think about it:

How often do you reach for your phone while waiting in line?

Can you watch a movie without also scrolling?

Can you sit in silence without filling it?

We are better connected than ever, yet loneliness is rising. Using these apps can feel like pulling a slot machine. You never know what you’re going to get, so you keep pulling for the dopamine hit.

And it is not just our attention spans. It is our values.

We scroll through others’ lives and quietly think,

“If I just had that, I would be happy.”

We see something that upsets us, and instead of thinking, we attach our narrative to someone else’s life. We tear down before we understand.

Even Pope Francis has warned about the effects of mindless scrolling and called for more intentional, critical engagement with media. As we begin Lent, that feels timely.

Can You Create Content Without Contributing to the Noise?

That is where I am wrestling.

If I create a short-form video, am I adding to someone else’s addiction? Is it like taking a friend to a bar who is trying to quit drinking?

Or can content be different?

Can it build something authentic?

Can it point to Him as the true influencer of our lives?

As we enter Lent, I have to ask myself:

Are my thoughts of the world, trying to stay relevant?

Or are they about building His kingdom with what I’ve been given?

Here is what non-consumption looks like for me:

• Delete TikTok. Easy goodbye. I do not post there anyway.

• Facebook and Instagram stay, but I will post and ghost if on my phone.

• When I respond or engage, I will do it from my computer.

• No scrolling on my phone

  
  

And if I feel convicted along the way, I will stop posting altogether. You can find me on the blog.

Do I want to do this?

No.

In prayer, I was secretly hoping He would say, “Give up sugar.” Something measurable. Something tidy. Something I could manage and feel successful about.

Instead, this feels harder. Less about performance. More about surrender.

This is not about metrics.

It is about growth.

It is about creating content for His glory, not my own.

So I am clearing space.

Making room.

And asking the question honestly:

Can we participate without being consumed?