Technology and the Call to Flourish

Something to think about…

How many hours has it been since you weren't reachable?

I mean, no phone, computer, internet, or social media?

I bet it hasn’t been long. Technology is deeply embedded in daily life, and recent research highlights how pervasive its influence has become. Schools are evaluating how much technology is enough and how much is too much.

Here are some staggering statistics:

· Americans check their phones 96 times a day (once every 10 minutes).

· The average person spends more time in front of screens than they spend asleep.

· Teens spend almost 9 hours daily on entertainment/social media.

· 72% feel the necessity to respond to notifications

What this means to me is that we have to be intentional about screen time. Why? Well, simply put, the distracted brain can become an addicted brain.

Every time you get a text or notification, your brain gets a hit of dopamine. It's called intermittent reinforcement, and it creates a powerful addiction.

At the center of this formation is neuroplasticity, the brain’s capacity for change. Meaning neural pathways are not fixed but strengthened through repetition. When a behavior is repeated in response to a cue and followed by some form of reward, the brain learns. In the context of digital technology, the cues are constant: a vibration, a notification, a moment of boredom. The behavior is simple: check the device. The reward is variable: sometimes connection, sometimes affirmation, sometimes nothing at all. But it is the possibility of reward that keeps the cycle alive.

Modern neuroscience gives us language for what Scripture has long described: we become, in part, what we repeatedly attend to. Neuroscience would describe this as reinforcement of neural pathways. Scripture might describe it as the shaping of the heart.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21

When we consider adolescents in a digitally saturated environment, the question is not merely how much time is spent on devices. The deeper question is, "What patterns of attention and desire are being cultivated?" What neural pathways are being strengthened? And toward what vision of the good life are these patterns directing them?

The teenage brain is not incomplete in a deficient sense, but it is unfinished in a developmental one. The prefrontal cortex, responsible for judgment, impulse control, moral reasoning, and the regulation of emotion, is still maturing. It is the region that allows a person to pause, to weigh consequences, to choose what is good rather than what is immediate.

At the same time, the limbic system is highly active. This system drives emotional intensity, social sensitivity, and the pursuit of reward. It is attuned to belonging, to affirmation, to the signals that one is seen and valued.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” Proverbs 4:23

Recent findings from the Global Flourishing Study express that flourishing involves meaning, relationships, virtue, and a sense of purpose that extends beyond the self. Importantly, flourishing is shaped by habits, in particular, the daily practices that orient a person toward or away from what is life-giving.

From a neuroscientific perspective, this kind of freedom is not merely a matter of willpower. It involves the strengthening of the very systems that support self-regulation. Practices such as sustained attention, reflection, meaningful relationships, and even silence contribute to the development of the prefrontal cortex’s regulatory capacity. In other words, the ability to choose wisely is itself something that can be cultivated.

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. " Romans 12:2

The goal is not withdrawal from the modern world, but wisdom within it.

If the rhythms of digital life are shaping the mind toward fragmentation and immediacy, then counter-rhythms are needed. Rhythms that are spiritual disciplines such as meditation on scripture, communal worship, meaningful conversation, and intentional rest that engage the whole person, including the brain.

The aim is not simply reduced screen time. It is a reoriented life.

A life in which the developing mind is guided, not left to be shaped by whatever is most stimulating. A life in which the emotional intensity is directed toward what is true and good. A life in which the prefrontal cortex (seat of wisdom, discernment, and moral reasoning) is strengthened through practice and grace.

Through intentional practices and the renewing work of God, brain formation can lead to flourishing “that you may discern what is good, pleasing, and perfect’ (Romans 12:2).”

References

Arana-Rodríguez, A., Garrido-Fernández, A., Sánchez-Alcón, M., Sánchez-Galloso, J., Rodríguez-Domínguez, Á.-J., et al. (2026). Impact of health education on internet addiction, internet use time, and social media addiction in adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-25793

Asurion. (2019, November 21). Americans check their phones 96 times a day. PR Newswire. https://www.asurion.com/press-releases/americans-check-their-phones-96-times-a-day/

Bai, X., Liu, H., Li, T., Xu, L., & Liu, X. (2024). Enhancing response inhibition behavior in smartphone addiction. Scientific Reports, 14, 19469. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-69175-z

James, R. J. E., et al. (2023). Engineered highs: Reward variability and frequency as potential prerequisites of behavioral addiction. Addictive Behaviors, 139, 107626. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107626

Montag, C., Wegmann, E., Sariyska, R., Demetrovics, Z., & Brand, M. (2021). How to overcome taxonomical problems in the study of Internet use disorders and what to do with “smartphone addiction”? Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 9(4), 908–914. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.8.2019.59

Rideout, V., & Robb, M. B. (2021). The Common Sense Census: Media use by tweens and teens, 2021. Common Sense Media.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/the-common-sense-census-media-use-by-tweens-and-teens-2021

VanderWeele, T. J., Johnson, B. R., Bialowolski, P. T., et al. (2025). The Global Flourishing Study: Study profile and initial results on flourishing. Nature Mental Health, 3, 636–653. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-025-00423-5

Wise, R. A., & Jordan, C. J. (2021). Dopamine, behavior, and addiction. Journal of Biomedical Science, 28, 83. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12929-021-00779-7

Zhang, et al. (2026). Smartphone restriction modulates intrinsic neural activity in problematic smartphone users. Addictive Behaviors, 174, 108575. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108575