Overcoming Digital Decision Fatigue

Think of your favorite candy, sitting in a jar on the desk where you work, or close by your chair while you are relaxing in the evening. Every time you see that jar of candy, you unconsciously make the decision to either take some candy or not. That process of deciding yes or no does not take a great deal of effort. In fact, you may not even be aware that you are making that decision. However, the decision-making effects accumulate over time. You may resist the temptation the first twenty times you see those sugary sweets, but eventually you will find yourself giving in, with the justification that “a few won’t hurt!”

Just like a nearby candy dish can tempt us to overeat, our mobile phones, tablets, and laptops can tempt us to spend an inordinate amount of time scrolling through various social media applications. The amount of time we spend in front of screens has increased steadily since the introduction of mobile devices, and the amount of new content added every minute in the form of status updates, articles, and videos keeps us glued to our electronics. This temptation to spend time with our devices is even greater than with the candy dish, as our devices have numerous notifications that pop up and arrest our attention, asking us to open them and check out the latest update from our friends and family. Just imagine if a candy dish was outfitted with a small speaker that said “Eat me!” every few minutes!

Decision Fatigue Defined

There is a reason our decision-making can degrade throughout the day and cause us to make poor decisions. Decision fatigue is a psychological term that describes the mental exhaustion we experience when confronted with repeatedly making decisions. The more decisions that we make, the increasing likelihood that we will make a poor decision. Just as our muscles eventually weaken from too much physical exertion, our brains grow increasingly tired as we make decisions, and over time, the quality of our decision-making can decrease.

Decision fatigue also causes us to make impulsive decisions or to have difficulty concentrating as the number of decisions increases. It may not sound particularly difficult to say “yes” or “no” about using a mobile device, but when you consider that the average user of a mobile device checks it over 200 times a day, those small decisions accumulate over time. Those digital distractions can cause us to fall into temptation and misuse our mobile devices by spending too much time on them, or to use them to sin against God.

Examples of Decision Fatigue in the Bible

We can find the concept of decision fatigue in several places in the Bible. Recall Esau’s decision to sell his birthright for a warm meal (Genesis 25:29-34). The fatigue of Esau caused him to make a rash decision that he later regretted. There is also the story of Samson and Delilah found in Judges 16. Delilah was promised 1100 pieces of silver for discovering the source of Samson’s strength. Delilah repeatedly asked Samson for the source of his strength, and Samson responded falsely three times. However, Delilah was persistent, and we read in Judges 16:16, “And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death.” Samson revealed his source of strength, and it cost him everything.

1 Corinthians 10:13 states, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” The temptation today to overuse our electronic devices is certainly common. However, there are strategies that we can employ to overcome that temptation and to make better decisions around our usage of mobile devices.

Strategies to Combat Decision Fatigue

Pray for Wisdom

James 1:5 tells us, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” God can provide us with wisdom on how best to use our mobile devices when we ask Him. Through applying wisdom in the area of our mobile device use, we can overcome any decision fatigue we encounter regarding our abuse of these devices.

Get Back to the Basics – Use Physical Media

Another strategy is to consider using a physical copy of the Bible if you currently use an electronic device to read the Bible. This will ensure that the notifications you receive from your study will be from the Holy Spirit as He speaks to you through His Word, showing you where you need to grow, guiding you in where you need to repent or increase your focus and obedience.

Reduce Temptation – Out of Sight, Out of Mind

One more strategy to increase the quality of our decision-making and to reduce the risk of temptation is to reduce the possibility of temptation. The closer we are to our temptations, the more often we are tempted to submit to those temptations. For example, if a jar of candy is next to us, the temptation to overeat has a greater chance to succeed. However, if that jar of candy is on a counter in another room, or even in the pantry behind a closed door, the temptation to give in and eat the candy will decrease. This is because the number of decisions that we make to take the candy or not decreases based on the removal of easy access to that temptation. The axiom “out of sight, out of mind” specifically applies here.

Conclusion – Glorify God with our Devices

Mobile devices are not evil in and of themselves. They can help us to effectively study God’s Word, share the gospel with others, or record a prayer list. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” When we purpose to glorify God in all that we do, we will give our mobile devices their proper priority and make decisions that honor the Lord.

(Click here for additional ideas on how to use social media.)

About David Pack

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Social Media and the Great Commission