The only thing Christians like more than the Internet is taking a break from it. A digital fast if you will, where you swear off the Internet or a particular flavor of social media for a prolonged period of time.
But how do you do it? What are the rules? How do you take a really good, really helpful digital fast? The Bible is very thin on the best way to wean yourself off of a Twitter addiction. Not once does Peter say, “Follow me on Twitter, I’m @Rock.” Or better yet for all you old school rap fans out there, “@PeteRock.”
So today I thought it might be good for us to review the 7 steps you need to take before a digital fast.
Step 1: Go online crazy.
Unless you’re online all the time, it’s really not a big, dramatic deal for you to go offline. So the first thing you’re going to want to do is make sure you’re online 24 hours a day. Tweet everything that happens to you, no matter how insignificant. “Just ate a sandwich. Ever thought about that word? It has ‘sand’ in it. That would be gross if they really have sand in them.” Change your facebook status roughly every 90 seconds. Update your blog as frequent as Lowell said something dumb in the television program “Wings.” (Old school topical!)
Step 2: Write a blog post about taking a digital fast.
The irony of writing online about how you are going to take some time from being online is so rich it’s like a delicious sandwich spread made of boysenberry and irony. Technically the Bible says we’re not supposed to tell people when we fast. Maybe posts on your blog don’t count. Maybe.
Step 3: Start a Twitter countdown.
Every day, in the week leading up to your digital fast tell people how many days until you take your digital fast. Or start a group on facebook called “Friends taking a break from facebook.” The goal is to make sure you get as much attention possible about your very private, very personal digital fast.
Step 4: Go offline.
For a predetermined amount of time, just log off. Don’t check email or fantasy sports scores or facebook or anything else. And say things like this to your friends, “Oh man, I know how smokers feel when they quit. This is hard.”
Step 5: After a week, go back online.
Make a triumphant return. Maybe write a blog with a headline from Eminem, “Guess who’s back, back again? Guess who’s back? Tell a friend!” Jump back online with both feet.
Step 6: Share the valuable lessons you learned while on your digital fast.
Turn three days offline into 10 days of blog material. Try to use the words, “community” and “fellowship” a lot, as if you suddenly discovered the real meaning of those during your 72 hour hiatus. If possible, post photos of you doing non digital things, like flying a kite or tickling puppies named Shadow in parks crawling with sunshine bright daisies.
Step 7: Return right back to your pre digital fast amount of online consumption.
This wasn’t about learning or praying or anything like that. This was about digital showmanship. You were like an Internet David Blaine holding your breath offline for three days straight. Return to the Internet like David Blaine would return to dating models after a three day hiatus in a solid block of ice.
Hopefully these steps will help you with your first digital fast. I can’t wait to read all about it online and in the email newsletter you create. Just promise me you won’t do what Anne Jackson did and actually quit facebook for legitimate reasons or push pause on Twitter like Michael Hyatt. There was no drama in either of those decisions. Where’s the fun in that?
Have you or a friend ever taken a digital fast?
Comments
I actually did do an internet fast over Lent last year… and the only reason I told people was because I am a Facebook addict that can't get enough of a fix each week, and also had no telephone of any kind, and people would genuinely freak out if they could not contact me in any way for 40 days, like my family.
It wasn't really that hard. LOL
Thanks again for a great post. I’ve just started my own Christian blog so think it’s a
little early to be taking a break from it, but I have saved this information thanks. I would really appreciate anyone dropping by and offering some feedback/support/encouragemnt. Thank you for the great site.
Pete Rock! Major props man.
In all fairness, I think we have to look at the context of the "don't tell people you're fasting" thing. The audience was uber-religious, rule-obeying, law-seeking, no heart kind of people. Don't do it to prove your self-rightousness when it's your heart that matters.
In a culture like today, to wisely and humbly explain why you may go on a digital fast of sorts can be healthy. I think it can inspire others to take inventory on how they're spending time online, and perhaps breakaway too if they need it.
It's all in the heart — not the action…whether you talk about it or not.
I've done a digital fast quite a few times and every time I have felt so much better with myself. Not being on the computer constantly actually allows me to get important things accomplished! (imagine that … !)
Last year for Lent, I said I would give up MySpace and Facebook for the whole 40 days, but I think I only lasted like a week and a half tops. Ha. So this year, I'm just going to do 2 weeks, just take it slowly and work my way up to doing it longer amounts of time.
I've taken digital fasts when i have been on mission trips and when I've been grounded from internet.
Very thought provoking. Gonna check if there really is a facebook group about taking a digital fast
Now I know why you don't have a blog roll. Funny, funny stuff.
Okay, I think you MIGHT be making fun of me, but maybe I’m overly sensitive. I may need to fast from reading blogs about digital fasts! Ha.
Got one to add to #1 Go online crazy. Go to the blog you've just started a few hundred times a day to see if anybody has actually checked it out.
I see all these comments about not being able to "fast" from fb, twitter, etc. because people are required to be "online" for their jobs. Me too. The difference? All social networking sites, video downloads, etc. are blocked. People complained, but we're not required to access fb for our jobs and yeah, it would be nice to connect with other professionals on their work fb sites, but I, for one, know my own weaknesses. I can blow two hours surfing online news. I can spent 15 minutes entering casenotes and get sidetracked by someone's updated status on fb for 30 minutes. My employer isn't too thrilled to pay me to connect the world with my opinion about my sister's lousy taste in men and her resulting anguish because of it….and who can blame them?
I don't fast online, but I diet on a regular basis. Instead of a three hour gorging on surfing, I set a timer for an hour. I got 15 minutes left, so I'm outta' here!
I can't take a digital fast since online is how I make my offline/real life money.. However, I do other types of "stuff" fasts… currently, I'm on a money fast — rule 1) you cannot buy anything that is not absolutely required for survival – meaning living and breathing on a continuous basis – no starbucks doesn't count… that's it.. no #2, #3 or anything else for that matter. You literally do NOT spend a dime that is not about paying your already existing bills, feeding your body (and only what is absolutely required – you don't really die if you don't have a big mac ya know) and that's all she wrote folks.. try that bad boy for 30 days.. You will be absolutely amazed at how much money you waste on a regular basis!
I remember there was a girl in my church who fasted from texting. Announced it to the whole congregation too.
Did she announce it via text message to everyone in her phone book?
I love Lowell!
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The best way for me is to just be too stinkin' busy with everything else to have much time online… thus the reason I'm always comment number 2469 on your blog or 2nd because I'm still up working when you post.
I considered doing a digital fast once but my insides went all wonky at the thought. So, no, I'm not planning one for the near future. After all who would catch up with my shows online, check my emails, play my correspondence chess games or watch ongoing chess games for me? Though I have to admit the days when all I do is hang out with friends and/or read leave me feeling much better ultimately than those spent online.
I fasted from all things sweet for 5 days at the start of this year (I told myself I'd only do the fast as long as Prayer Week lasted at church). I didn't quite get the shakes but it was close. Of course I'm not addicted. I can quit anytime I want, just don't ask me to do it right now while I'm going through a pack of fruity Mentos
I usually combine a digital fast with a food fast, when I feel that fasting is appropriate (or traditional, like Yom Kippur.) Fasting from food alone is actually pretty easy for me, so I tend to need the digital fast to remember that I am, actually, fasting. Hardest thing I ever fasted from was complaining, for 24 hours. I should do that again.
fantastic pete rock reference. i loved pete rock and c.l. smooth.
i did a facebook and twitter fast twice last year. i'm not ashamed.
patrick
@patricksteed
I have taken a break here and there. I've never called it a fast because I think it would sound pretentious for me to say it. I still felt a little sheepish reading this post because I have announced it beforehand every time. Though, I like to think it's because it keeps me accountable to it.
Just like smoking – the best way to stop is never to start . . . . at least, until they come up with a patch to ween you off of tweets.
(Hmm, tweeking on tweets . . . . )
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I just got off of a digital fast. I am this kind of Christian. haha. love this post
I gave up the internet for Lent two years ago. It was pre-serious facebook addiction, etc. so it wouldn't have made any sense to follow your steps, but seriously it can be HARD.
I think I might do it again this year, though it'll be harder than ever. Those steps though? Well you forgot step 5.5 which is not knowing what to do on the computer once you get back on. I was like "…Why do people even GO online again?!" after I spent all that time offline. Getting back to it was terribly anticlimactic, and I think rightfully so, considering the whole point of Lent.
Guilty = http://www.andydarnell.com/?p=2507
Last year for Lent I did a half fast, so to speak. I took a lot of blogs that were taking a lot of my time and added them to a "post-Lent" bookmarks list. Surprisingly, I didn't miss them for forty days and most of them haven't found their way back to my google reader. I plan to do the same thing this year – there are so many blogs out there it's so easy to just keep on reading and a lent cleaning seems like a sensible idea. I'm still deciding on what I'm really going to fast from this year (I never decide until the last minute, aka 11.59 on Fat Tuesday).
[...] to be tested so that I could brag about the experience to my tech-savvy friends (Exemplified here). However, I was also scared to turn everything off because I knew it would be difficult and I [...]