Let’s play a game.
I am thinking of a person, place, or thing that, if you are reading this, likely plays a very important role in your life. Let’s see if you can guess what I am describing…
______ is always with us. ______ is the first thing we check in with each morning and the last thing we consult before going to sleep. With ______, it seems as though all things are possible. We marvel at the power of ______, which has ways that are beyond our understanding. ______ helps us feel safe and more deeply connected to the world around us. We acknowledge that the moment ______ entered our life is a clear and distinct point in which everything changed. We simply can’t imagine our life without ______.
Did you figure it out?
Of course, I am describing your smartphone.
(Oh, did you think I was describing God? 😉
I was well into adulthood when I got my first iPhone. Now, I can hardly imagine what life was like before it.
It’s undeniable that our smartphones have become an important aspect of modern life. It helps us do many good things:
- I can communicate in real-time with family and friends, even if we’re separated by hundreds or thousands of miles.
- I can publish notes of hope and encouragement that are read by people all over the world.
- It helps me find the closest Catholic Church so I can go to Mass when I am traveling.
- This small, thin rectangle contains not just one, but multiple Bible translations, the daily Missal, and at least a hundred books and devotionals I’ve purchased written by popes and saints and bishops and teachers.
- I use the Hallow app as a regular prayer aide (including the Pray 40 challenge going on now).
- I can listen to praise music or inspiring podcasts from spiritual leaders while I am walking, cooking, or painting.
- It wakes me up so I don’t miss that early morning Adoration time slot I signed up for.
Indeed, our smartphones can be a tool for good. But we can all admit that there are times when they threaten to become little idols made of aluminum and silicon that can steal our time and attention.
Because they are so critical to our everyday lives, I doubt anyone “gave up” their phone for Lent. (Although it’s possible you are fasting from social media or deleted an app or two.)
But did you know there is something you can do that doesn’t remove any of the functions you desperately depend on, but will drastically limit the time you waste spend on it?
It’s true.
Ash Wednesday may be over, but you can still “ash” your phone.
In a little bit, I’ll show you how to remove the color from your smartphone. But first, here’s why you might want to try it.
Apps like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook rely on vibrant colors to make content more enticing. Bright, colorful icons and notifications are designed to capture attention and keep users hooked. Shopping apps and games use color psychology to trigger buying or playing impulses.
Grayscale dulls that effect by making the screen less stimulating, reducing compulsive scrolling, and helping curb excessive use.
It’s a simple trick, but one that works on our brains, which are attracted to anything bright and shiny. In short, your phone maintains all its functionality but becomes less fun to use, making it much less addictive.
Here’s a group of college students reacting to a priest teaching them how to do it.
If you’re interested in giving it a try, here’s how:
iPhone (iOS):
- Step 1: Go to Settings > Tap Accessibility.
- Step 2: Tap Display & Text Size.
- Step 3: Tap Color Filters.
- Step 4: Toggle Color Filters ON and select Grayscale.
Android (Pixel, Samsung, OnePlus, etc.):
- Step 1: Go to Settings > Tap Accessibility.
- Step 2: Select Color and Motion (or Color Correction or Vision on some models)
- Step 3: Toggle on Color correction
- Step 4: Select Grayscale
As difficult as it can be, Lent is truly a gift. It’s a golden opportunity to examine our lives for any idols that might have crept in.
Maybe something that threatens to replace God as the first thing you check in with each morning and the last thing you consult before going to sleep.
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