How often do you stop to think about what you are looking at on your phone?
You may think of scrolling through social media as something you do in your spare time or to pass the time. But every time you scroll, your eyes are taking in images, words, opinions, lifestyles, conversations and ideas. Some of these are settling in your heart and may be influencing you without you noticing.
This is why what we repeatedly look at deserves some thought. We need to be mindful and ensure that they are the kind of things we would love to shape our lives.
The Bible gives us a useful filter for doing this in Philippians 4:8. It says, “…..whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (NIV)
Although this verse is about what we should think about, it is worth bringing into our visual activities because what we repeatedly look at can influence what occupies our hearts and ultimately our lives.
What are you giving your attention to?
Take a moment to think about your social media feed. What do you see most often?
- News and current events?
- Celebrity gossip?
- Arguments and controversies?
- Luxury and wealth?
- Beauty and appearance?
- Complaints and negativity?
- Educational content?
- Encouraging messages?
- Faith-based content?
- Funny videos and entertainment?
Now, note that there is nothing wrong with being interested in entertainment or enjoying social media. The question is whether the things you are repeatedly consuming are helping you become the person you want to be.
This is why you need to be intentional about what often shows up on your feed. But how do you do that?
Know that your feed is not completely random
The first thing you need to know is that social media platforms use algorithms designed to determine what content is likely to keep your attention. That means your feed can gradually become a reflection of what you stop to watch, click on, like, comment on, share or otherwise engage with.
You may occasionally see something completely unrelated to your interests. But if you consistently give your attention to a particular type of content, you may start seeing more of it. Knowing this can give you some control over the content of your feed.
If you want to change what shows up on your timeline, notice what you have been paying attention to, then move your attention away from it and focus on the things you want to see more often.
Use Philippians 4:8 as a filter
Before you continue scrolling, consider asking yourself whether the content you repeatedly consume is:
- True? – Does it present information honestly, or is it built around exaggeration, misinformation or deception?
- Honourable? – Does it reflect things worthy of respect, or does it constantly make entertainment out of people, relationships or serious issues?
- Right? -Does it encourage what is good and responsible, or does it normalise attitudes and behaviours that conflict with your values?
- Pure? -Is the content helping you maintain a healthy mind, or is it repeatedly exposing you to material that you know does not belong in your visual environment?
- Lovely? -Does it draw your attention towards things that are good, beautiful and uplifting, or does it constantly feed irritation, envy, anger or dissatisfaction?
- Admirable? – Are you repeatedly looking at things that are worthy of respect and emulation?
- Excellent? – Is it showing you ideas, examples, skills or information that are worth learning from and applying?
- Praiseworthy? Does it draw your attention towards things that are worthy of appreciation and give you reasons to celebrate what is good?
And finally, does what you are consuming give you something worthwhile to think about?
This does not mean every single post you see has to pass every part of the test. Sometimes your feed will contain ordinary things. You will see humour, entertainment, advertisements, news and content that simply has nothing to do with these categories. But on the whole, do most of the things you are repeatedly giving your attention to pass the test?
Always remember that attention is a choice
One of the challenges of social media is that it can make attention feel automatic.
You pick up your phone with one intention, open an app and suddenly find yourself scrolling through an endless stream of content. Before long, you have spent several minutes looking at things you never intended to see. This often happens when using your phone on autopilot. Digital intentionality, a core pillar of Sightful Living, can help you overcome that.
Digital intentionality means becoming more conscious of why you are using your device and putting in place boundaries that minimise distractions so that you focus on purposeful use.
You do not have to engage with everything that appears on your screen.
- You have a choice to scroll past what is irrelevant.
- You can unfollow an account.
- You can mute someone.
- You can choose not to click.
- You can stop watching.
- You can deliberately search for and engage with content that is more aligned with your values and what you want to learn, think about or become.
Your attention is valuable. Treat it that way, and your feed will begin to look more like what you want.
Conclusion
Social media algorithms often reward attention. That is why your feed is often a reflection of what you have been paying attention to. Sometimes irrelevant content may pop up. But if you scroll past it and don’t engage with it, you are less likely to keep seeing more of the same.
Want to change what shows up on your feed? Change what you pay attention to. Philippians 4:8 gives us a useful filter for what deserves our attention. Use it along with your attention to build the kind of feed you want.