Hooked and Hacked? The Dark Side of Smartphones No One Talks About!
Smartphones have changed everything. They started as simple tools for calling and texting but have now become extensions of ourselves—shaping our thoughts, emotions and even our faith.
Pastor Vlad Savchuk of HungryGen Ministries recently sounded the alarm on the dangers of digital addiction, calling it more than just a bad habit; it’s a spiritual battle.
Satan is Using Your phone Against You
In a recent video, Savchuk warns that our phones are more than just distractions—they are traps.
“See, your attention is someone’s business model,” he says, referencing Columbia law professor Tim Wu’s book “The Attention Merchants.” Social media giants design their platforms to keep us hooked, selling our time for profit. As former Google engineer Tristan Harris put it, “You’re not paying for the product because you are the product.”
But beyond the economic consequences, Savchuk argues that the smartphone is a weapon used by the enemy to steal our intimacy with God, weaken our faith and keep us spiritually weak.
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10 Signs You’re Addicted to Your Phone
Savchuk offers a self-checklist, asking: “Are you already hooked on this? Have you already fallen prey to the plan of the enemy?” Here are 10 warning signs:
- Checking your phone first thing in the morning.
- Feeling anxious without it.
- Aimlessly scrolling for hours without realizing it.
- Neglecting relationships because of screen time: “Someone in your circle is complaining, ‘You’re always on your phone.’”
- Seeking validation through likes and comments: “You need that dopamine rush.”
- Struggling to focus on prayer and Bible reading: “When you open the Scriptures, you can’t focus because of so many notifications.”
- Prioritizing entertainment over spiritual growth: “You have no plan for your development, but your default setting for numbing yourself is your phone.”
- Losing sleep due to late-night scrolling: “You’re missing prayer early in the morning because you stayed up scrolling.”
- Texting and driving: “This is a big one.”
- Using your phone during worship: “People can’t worship without capturing a worship moment for Instagram.”
If any of these sound familiar, Savchuk warns that your phone may be controlling you, not the other way around.
The Devil’s Tactics
Savchuk argues that the smartphone is one of the most effective tools of distraction, much like how Eve was lured away by what she didn’t have in Genesis 3.
The phone doesn’t just waste time—it pulls people into sin. Savchuk highlights several ways this happens:
- Pornography and Lust – “What starts as aimless scrolling becomes something you look at that you’re not supposed to look at.”
- Gossip and Drama – “People love drama, hate, division. And Christians can be the meanest of them all.”
- Comparison and Envy – “Social media helps us see the perfect lives of others, and we begin to covet what they have.”
- Wasting Time – “Even if it’s not a sin, the devil wants you to waste your time, your potential. Ephesians 5:16 says, ‘Redeem the time because the days are evil.’”
Steps to Reclaim Your Life
So what’s the solution? Savchuk offers practical steps to break free from smartphone addiction and take control of your time:
- Digital Detox: “Fast from your phone. Try a 24-hour phone fast every week or a 30-day reset.”
- Prioritize Prayer Over Scrolling: “Psalm 5:3: ‘In the morning, Lord, you will hear my voice.’ Don’t check your phone before prayer.”
- Delete Time-Wasting Apps: “Most social media apps my ministry is on are not on my phone.”
- Turn Off Notifications: “Remove notifications so that you have to search for it to go on it.”
- Replace Scrolling with Real Activities: “Memorize Bible verses, work out, go outside, join a small group.”
- Create Phone-Free Zones: “No phone at meals, church, bedtime or while driving.”
- Make Social Media Purposeful: “Use it for ministry, encouragement and wisdom—not mindless scrolling.”
Savchuk shares his own journey, admitting, “Social media has been one of the most effective tools to take my attention from the things that matter.” But he reminds his audience that smartphones are just tools—it’s up to us to control them, not be controlled by them.
Who Owns Your Time?
“The Bible is very clear—1 Corinthians 6:12: ‘I will not be mastered by anything.’”
Savchuk’s challenge is powerful: “Do you have a phone, or does your phone have you?” If the devil can’t destroy you, he’ll distract you. If your phone is keeping you from prayer, worship and your calling, it’s time to break free.
Don’t miss Vlad Savchuk’s newest book “Make the Devil Homeless” releasing Fall 2025!
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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
