Fasting from Technology: Making Room for Presence

I was a smoker once, long ago.  It was in my 20s when I thought I was indestructible, and there weren't as many non-smoking rules in the world.  The trouble was, I got up to two packs a day, which wasn't great at all.  

I remember that when I would wake up in the morning, after I coughed and hacked a bit, the first thing I would reach for was my cigarettes and lighter.  

Now, the first thing I reach for in the morning after waking is my phone. 

Like most people, I never go anywhere without my phone.  These metal and glass supercomputers we carry around with us are as much a part of us as our keys or wallets.  When we don't have them with us, we can feel lost, disconnected, and for some people, even panicked.  

The idea of giving up technology--even certain aspects of it---during Lent is one of the most complicated and challenging things to attempt.  I have to say, that very idea is not one that I was willing to embrace this year.  

Technology connects us, informs us, and often overwhelms us. Our devices shape how we see the world and ourselves. Fasting from technology during Lent is not about rejecting modern life; it is about reclaiming attention.

Scripture reminds us that attention shapes devotion. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). When our attention is constantly fragmented, our spiritual lives become fragmented too. Technology fasting invites us to ask: what holds my focus?

Silence is difficult when screens are near. Solitude is interrupted by notifications. Reflection competes with endless scrolling. Fasting from technology—even for designated hours—creates space for stillness and relational presence.

This practice is not about shame. Technology is a tool, not an enemy. But tools can become masters. Paul writes, “I will not be dominated by anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12). Lent invites freedom from domination.

Technology fasting can look simple: no phone at meals, no screens before bed, one screen-free evening each week. The goal is not a rigid rule, but restored awareness.

There's a song by the hard rock/metal band A Perfect Circle entitled "Disilusioned" that speaks to what we might discover if we are able to loosen the bonds of technology on our lives.  The lyrics contain these interesting lines:

We have been overrun by our animal desire
Addicts of the immediate keep us obedient and unaware
Feeding this mutation, this Pavlovian despair
We've become disillusioned
So we run towards anything glimmering
Time to put the silicon obsession down
Take a look around, find a way in the silence
Lie supine away with your back to the ground
Dis- and re-connect to the resonance now
You were never an island. 

Maybe, if we all became less addicted to the immediate, we might discover something true and beautiful about ourselves and the world we inhabit.  

As distractions fall away, something else emerges—conversation, creativity, prayer, rest. We rediscover what constant input often crowds out.

Lent teaches us that subtraction can reveal abundance. When we step away from constant connection, we become more available—to God, to others, to ourselves.

Prayer

God of presence, free us from distraction. Help us reclaim attention as sacred space for you and for love. Amen.

Reflection Questions

1. How does technology shape your daily rhythm?

2. What might you discover in screen-free space?

3. Where is God inviting you into deeper attentiveness?