Do you suffer from nomophobia? Do you even know what that is? Nomophobia is the fear of being without a mobile device, or beyond mobile phone contact. According to statistics, 66% of adults feel extreme anxiety when they are without their phones. 77% of young adults 18-24 fear being without their phones for any amount of time. The same study showed that the majority of high school and college students sleep and shower with their phones and would rather lose their pinky finger than their cell phones! I’m not a psychiatrist but there’s something wrong with this picture. If you really shower with your phone…you may want to take a step back from your phone and disconnect for a few minutes.
Cellphones are great! I love the idea that I can be connected to anyone, anywhere, ANYTIME! But they also can be a HUGE distraction from the real world. Ask yourself these questions:
- Is your phone the last thing you look at before you go to bed?
- Is it the first thing you check when you wake up in the morning?
- Do you feel compelled to check your phone while waiting in line at the fast food drive through or checkout line at the store?
- Would you rather a mugger take your wallet than your phone?
- Do you feel lost without your phone nearby?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may want to take a break (even an hour or two) without your phone. Admit it, this world has a problem.
No, I’m not your Mother trying to get you to put your phone down at the dinner table, but I am speaking to myself when I speak to you. Phones are addicting and if you’re not careful they will consume your life and distract you from what matters most.
Most of us, myself including, when we are bored, have a default, brain-off habit of picking up our phones and lazily clicking around. Whether you have a Facebook default, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, texting, snapchat, or whatever else you do…it’s all distracting you from the real world. To be honest, the real world can be stressful, and it is easier to focus on the “not so real” world of the internet than what’s going on real life. Because we are constantly allowing ourselves to be distracted, our thoughts become captive away from being obedient to Christ. Our minds are constantly racing and never shut down because the instant gratification of our phones so constantly distracts us. Our minds never rest because we never let them. God made us to be in a relationship with Him. Our hearts are restless until they find rest in Him.
Paul says, “I have the right to do anything, but I will not be mastered by anything.” The power of Christ in you should be stronger than anything else in your life. When you go to bed, Christ should be the last thing you think of. When you wake up, you should think of Him and how you can honor Him with your life today. When you’re bored in line, who could you talk to that might need a little encouragement? You should feel lost without Christ and without Him as your main focus. If you don’t, then you may want to reconsider your life with Christ. Are you a true follower of Christ? Are you letting your phone distract you from Christ? Christ in you is stronger than any addiction in you. Don’t let your phone be your master.
May God Bless you and Show you His Grace every day!
Kayla Rampey
Want to dig deeper? I strongly recommend #Struggles by Craig Groeschel. This is a great book for anyone at any age! It really shows the social distractions that we all deal with each day!
