The Book That Exposed My Addiction

I came across this book in the most ironic way possible—while mindlessly scrolling through YouTube Shorts. One moment, I was drowning in an endless sea of algorithm-fed content, and the next, I was watching a man talk about how he disconnected from screens for seven weeks—and how it changed everything. I laughed at the irony. Then I clicked. Then I bought the book. Reconnected: How 7 Screen-Free Weeks with Monks and Amish Farmers Helped Me Recover the Lost Art of Being Human isn’t another guilt-trip about our tech addiction. It’s not packed with academic statistics designed to scare us. I've read plenty of those books already. Instead, it’s a deeply personal, almost radical experiment. Carlos Whittaker didn’t just cut back on screen time—he threw himself into silence, simplicity, and the kind of human connection most of us have forgotten exists.

The Noise That Drowns Out God

Whittaker’s journey exposed something uncomfortable: we’re not just distracted—we’re drowning.

I thought about how often I reach for my phone in moments of stillness—waiting to pick the kids up from school, in the que at Tesco, even when I’m meant to be praying. Silence feels unnatural. But for the monks he lived with, silence wasn’t an empty void—it was an invitation.

Psalm 46:10—“Be still, and know that I am God.”

I’ve read that verse a thousand times. But when was the last time I was truly still?

Whittaker found that when he stripped away the constant noise, he could finally hear God clearly. Not in the big, dramatic ways we sometimes expect, but in the gentle whisper of everyday life.

Finding God in the Ordinary

His time with the Amish took this even further. He didn’t just log off—he immersed himself in a world where faith wasn’t filtered through an app or a livestream, but woven into the fabric of daily life.

Faith wasn’t a perfectly curated Instagram post. It was in the sweat of manual labour. In meals shared with full attention. In unhurried, face-to-face conversations. And it made me wonder: how often do I miss God’s presence because I’m looking at a screen instead of what’s right in front of me?

The Sabbath I Thought I Was Keeping

I talk a lot about rest. It’s my go-to question for other pastors: Are you resting, or are you constantly overworked?

I thought I had a pretty good grasp on Sabbath. But this book exposed something I hadn’t considered—while I take a day off from work, I never take a day off from my phone. Even on my so-called "rest days," my mind is still overstimulated. There’s no silence for reflection. No real pause. What This Means for Me (And Maybe For You Too?)

Inspired by Whittaker’s journey, I downloaded an app called Zen Detox (I wish it was just called Detox, as it has no spiritual content and gives a false impression of what it is). It’s an app that turns a smartphone into a ‘dumb phone.’ Again, ‘dumb’ is not a word I would use, but that’s the tech jargon for what I did. It strips my phone of anything tempting—no app logos, no YouTube, Instagram, Amazon or eBay, just a boring greyscale screen. My phone is now unappealing. And honestly? It’s been freeing.

For Lent, I’m taking it a step further: 40 days without any streaming platforms or TV. The only visual input? The five seasons of The Chosen. Maybe that sounds extreme. But what if the thing we think we can’t give up is the very thing keeping us from hearing God?

Final Thoughts

This was a great book. Whittaker is a great storyteller. The main thing that led to change for him—and for me, and I imagine all readers who know Christ—is that rather than being scared or shocked by stats into changing, it is the gentle whisper of the Holy Spirit who prompts the change. Reading this book didn’t just give me new information. It woke me up.

If you’ve ever felt exhausted, disconnected, or spiritually numb—this book might be exactly what you need.

And the real question is: Are you willing to disconnect long enough to find out?

👉 Check out the book here