Darby Vincent explains "Why I said goodbye to social media and hello to real life."
Like many of my fellow Gen Zers, I love social media. I love my nightly TikTok scrolls, posting my Instagram photo dumps at the end of the month, and perfecting Pinterest boards filled with dream life visions. I can’t get enough of the Brat Summer videos or the Four Seasons Orlando Baby (iykyk*).
Despite this 10/10 entertainment, I recently decided to delete my social media apps. Gasp, I know – I’m sure you’re as shocked as my family and friends were – but joking aside, for me this was a pretty big change.
This article is from the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity section on Connecting with Culture, Understanding Culture.
I was noticing habits in myself I didn’t love – reaching for my phone at every spare moment to check for any new notifications and spending breaks between meetings simply moving from my laptop screen to the small one in my hand.
We live in a world that offers instant updates through WhatsApp chats and Instagram stories. But, in embracing this constant connection, we’ve lost the equally important art of disconnection. I felt myself losing the skill of simply being – with no noise or distraction.
Jesus was the master of being. As we see in Luke 5:16, he often withdrew to lonely places to pray. Even during the peak of his ministry, he prioritised time away from the crowds to reconnect with his Father above. In our culture of constant background digital buzz, following Christ’s example means intentionally carving out space for stillness.
We’re also called to be mindful of how we use our time. Not just the time we spend with others but all our time. Ephesians 5:15–16 says, ‘Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.’ This includes how we engage online. When caught in the trap of an endless scrolling session at work, at home, or on the bus, swiping our screens repeatedly, we should ask ourselves: 'Is this glorifying God?' And 'is this adding to my life or is it distracting me from what matters?'
This is an art I’m still learning, but removing social media has been a helpful way to cut down some of that noise. Disconnecting doesn’t have to mean rejecting social media altogether. Instead, we can use it wisely – setting boundaries, staying mindful of how it affects our spiritual wellbeing, and making room for real-life connections and moments with God. By balancing connection with disconnection, we can live more present and purposeful lives, both online and offline.
Darby Vincent is Digital Lead at LICC.
This article is from the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity section on Connecting with Culture, Understanding Culture.
*If you know you know
