OPINION:
Smartphones have become an obsession — a virtual extension of the human body that consumes our time and energy, often distracting us from love, life and connection.
The almost incessant barrage of messages, social media notifications and internet availability can certainly have its benefits, yet the data suggest we’ve fallen into a bit of an abyss.
Something is deeply and profoundly wrong in America. It’s no secret that depression, isolation, suicidal ideation and drug overdoses have plagued us. One study found, according to the Barna Group, “nearly one in three Gen Z (29%) reports frequently feeling lonely,” yet another shocking indicator.
Tragically, younger generations have been raised in this tech-obsessed dynamic. For Gen Z, smartphones are essentially all they know, and yet the emptiness and isolation that too many have experienced are sparking a fascinating retraction and move away from the noise.
In 2025, news reports began to indicate a new trend among young people — a move back toward “dumbphones” (i.e., traditional phones). In fact, many young people took to social media last year to take part in what was dubbed “flip phone summer.”
At the time, WRC-TV spoke with a young woman named Lauren who traded in her smartphone for a simpler device — one that enabled her to merely make phone calls and text. The positive results were noticed almost immediately.
“I’ve been listening to nature a lot. I’ve been connecting,” Lauren told the outlet. “I’ve been thinking my thoughts and that is a good thing because I didn’t have time to do that when I had social media.”
The most telling remark in her comments was the admission that she’s now able to “think her thoughts.” Smartphones inundate us with so much information that we’re often overwhelmed with content and unable to pause, ponder and reflect on what truly matters.
Lauren said she hoped to be a “different person with a different relationship” with her phone by the end of her experiment. Interestingly, she’s not alone in her quest to free up mind space.
Recently, CBN News documented a powerful experiment unfolding at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. The school decided to encourage students to “detox” from their phones by logging off social media, entertainment and other distractions for the month of February.
It’s part of Liberty University’s second annual Digital Rest initiative, an effort to “make the smartphone dumb for a month by deleting social media, games and other distracting apps.”
“For 28 days, we intentionally set aside our smartphones with their many distractions in order that we may wholeheartedly pursue Christ and grow in godliness,” a description reads. “During the Digital Rest, we choose to strip our phones of the features that draw us into endless and bottomless spirals of distraction.”
The effort had a powerful impact on the lives of young students taking part, with school administrators explaining why Liberty took such an active role in encouraging students to take a step back.
“I don’t want students to be depressed and anxious,” Josh Rutledge, the school’s vice president of spiritual development, told CBN News. “I want them to know the abundant life that God has for them, and if they allow the phone to dictate the terms of reality for them, then they’re going to end up anxious.”
Mr. Rutledge said the effort isn’t “anti-technology” nor is it “anti-phone.” Instead, it’s about taking control of how people consume information — and helping young people focus more on the Lord.
“It’s going, ’Who is the master of it? Who’s in control? Do you have control of the phone and do you use it as a tool for your benefit or does it have control of you?’” he said.
Like Lauren, Liberty University students who have taken part have come to see just how dependent they’ve been on their phones. From picking up their phones too frequently to recognizing their disconnection from others, the realizations were powerful.
Some even found themselves doing better in school as a result.
“We think about how often we’re in a group of people and we’re all just looking at our phones together,” Thomas Myers, a senior, told CBN News. “I think that this rest has really helped us in connecting with people in a more real way, in the way that we were meant to.”
But it’s the spiritual renewal that’s most important. Students reported having more focused, intense prayer and Scripture-reading time in the mornings — something that undoubtedly has the power to transform lives.
With the mind calming, people can focus more on God, purpose and truth. We’ve all become so distracted that we’re missing out on what matters in life. And while this is impacting every generation, it’s particularly fascinating to watch young people lead the way in taking steps to get themselves back on track. Perhaps we all need to take a page from Gen Z’s book.
• Billy Hallowell is a digital TV host and interviewer for Faithwire and CBN News and the co-host of CBN’s “Quick Start Podcast.” Mr. Hallowell is also the author of four books.
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