Most of us would admit to spending more time on our cell phones than we would like.
We say we want to put it down or set it aside – and we mean it! We sometimes might even say we wish we could throw it out the window! With our dependence on it, the convenience of it, and addictive features in it, it sure is hard to follow through on that, isn’t it?
Data reported from statistics in the year 2024, from The Journal of Consumer Research, reveal that most American teens and adults have a cell phone, usually a smartphone. They look at their phones 144 times each day, spend on it an average of 4.5 hours per day, and 57% self-identify as “mobile phone addicts.” The organization Reviews.org surveyed 1,000 Americans in the last quarter of year 2025, revealing that cell phone users look at their phones now 186 times each day, covering 5 hours.
Sometimes we even think we’re connecting with God when we use our phone. Do you use your cell phone to catch a daily verse on email, to scroll through an on-line Bible, to watch social media influencers post about their faith, or to practice Bible verses? Even with good intentions and some positive effects, this means our cell phone is still attached to us, notifications are still heard, scrolling is still a temptation, and distractions still interrupt our thoughts.
The lack of in-person meetings in the early 2020s caused on-line friendships to skyrocket. Have you noticed how these create a false sense of connection? Have you seen how Facebook can promote a false sense of reality? Have you experienced how texting-only friendships give a false sense of really knowing someone? Meeting through a screen does not allow for certain senses to engage, especially compared to meeting in person. A 2023 Cambridge University survey of almost 13,000 participants over age 50 found that weekly face-to-face connection with a friend resulted in better health – mentally and physically. If you add to that sharing with each other about God’s work in your lives, there will be spiritual benefits as well!
Just as social media apps can present a false sense of connection with others, using our cell phones as the source for spiritual nourishment can create a false sense of connection with Jesus.
Take the first step of distancing from your phone when you spend time with God by reading his Word. Leaf through and read your own paper Bible, pray and meditate on God’s truths without flashy distractions, and practice memory verses in a hands-on way.
You can do all this, and more, with the Heart Training Bible verse study and memory workbooks! A variety of daily, hands-on approaches help transfer the verses and lessons from your eyes and hands to your mind and heart. There are no ads popping up, no clever memes, no notifications to distract you.
The time is yours for you to just dig into God’s Word, learn, and pray – and have a real connection.
Order a Heart Training book today to gain spiritual health benefits away from your cell phone.