The Price of Digital Convenience

Photo by Rachel Strong on Unsplash

The other day, I caught myself reaching for my phone during what used to be my quiet morning routine, and it hit me — we’ve become almost afraid of silence. I was so shocked at what happened that I kept replaying it in my head. How did we get here? Perhaps it is because technology is so interwoven in our lives that we need it for virtually everything, play music, write notes and read the bible. Phew! This is why I advocate for journals and paper bible. Judge me all you want, the convenience of the tech things is at a cost. What are you paying?

That moment haunted me for days. It wasn’t just about reaching for my phone — it was about what that simple gesture revealed about my soul. I had started to get distracted. It was so subtle and I had good reason for it. I made excuses, I needed the music, I had to find the commentary etc etc. Technology now feels like an ever present companion or should I say help in times of prayer & worship. Sighs. When did we start needing digital noise to feel comfortable?

Look, I get the appeal of having everything at our fingertips. One device that holds our entire Bible, commentary libraries, devotional readings, and journal entries. It’s brilliant, really. But there’s something we’re not talking about enough: the invisible tax we’re paying for all this convenience.

Every time I pick up my paper Bible, it reminds me of something. I can see highlights from years past and the revelations that came when wrestling with Romans 8. My messy handwriting in the margins, tracking my spiritual journey through different seasons. You can’t get that from a Bible app, no matter how many highlighting features it offers.

And my journal? Those pages hold my raw, unfiltered conversations with God. No autocorrect. No delete button. No perfect fonts. Just real, messy, authentic wrestling with faith. When I write by hand, I can’t backspace my way out of uncomfortable thoughts. I have to sit with them, process them, pray through them.

But it’s more than just the tangible versus digital debate. It’s about what happens in those moments when we reach for our phones instead of sitting in silence. Every notification, every quick check, every “just one more verse” becomes a barrier between us and true solitude with God.

I’m not saying we should all throw our phones into the sea (though sometimes, I’m tempted). Technology isn’t evil — it’s a tool. But like any tool, we need to understand its true cost. When we reach for our phones during prayer time, we’re not just trading paper for pixels. We’re trading:

• Deep focus for scattered attention
• Silence for digital noise
• Physical remembrance for cloud storage
• Undistracted presence for constant connectivity

The convenience of having everything in one device comes with a price tag we rarely examine. It’s not just about the time we spend on our phones — it’s about the quality of our spiritual moments, the depth of our reflection, the authenticity of our encounters with God.

So here I am, still using my phone for many things (yes, I see the irony), but fiercely protecting my paper Bible and journal time. Some might call it old-fashioned. I call it soul preservation.

What about you?

Have you ever caught yourself reaching for your phone during what should be your quiet time? What moments of genuine connection with God might you be trading for digital convenience?

Maybe it’s time we all took a hard look at what we’re really paying for all this convenience. The cost might be higher than we think.

From me,

PG