In a world where knowledge and information are at the tips of our fingers, how do we know what’s real? At a simple scroll, we are fed with opinions, ideas, and anything we could possibly think of. We don’t even try to find information anymore, it all just comes to us. All the algorithms set in place know exactly what we need when we most need it. Our behavior has been well-predicted by robots, and they seem to already know us more than we know ourselves.

The question is: Are we aware of this? What do we do with everything we see and hear online? What do we believe?

I honestly think the internet has become the noisiest place in the world. We are bombarded with information that our brains don’t even have the capacity to process. Attention spans are becoming shorter and shorter, and technology is evolving way too fast. Humans weren’t built for this speed, and we’re all unknowingly damaging our lives because of it. Worse, it’s also becoming so hard to escape. It seems like anyone with a smartphone has well adapted to this noise, that something supposedly so unpleasant has become so ordinary.

There is danger in allowing information we stumble upon online to dictate our lives without us realizing. There is also danger in being blindly “influenced” into a behavior when predictive AI has now made every single one of us too vulnerable.

Have you ever heard something from a Reel or TikTok and eventually made it your mantra? Have you ever been convinced by an influencer to buy a product you didn’t really need? Have you ever seen an aesthetic life in an IG post and desired it for yourself?

Trust me, I can relate. My answer is yes to all of those questions. I talk about my battle with social media a lot here on the blog, and it’s still a persistent struggle for me. I still get weighed down and distressed by everything I’ve been seeing and hearing on the internet.

For one, there’s the weight of comparison whenever I see other people get ahead of me in terms of the world’s standards—being able to travel, land bigger opportunities, earn more money. I also catch myself not knowing what to believe when I get drowned in so much information. So many people have so much to say that sometimes I forget my own values and beliefs.

Other than the fact that doom-scrolling can drain so much of your energy, it can also distract you from who you are and what truly matters. I discovered that with all the stimuli, I developed this urge to keeping moving fast as if I’m running a race with the rest of the world. I see so many things I don’t have, but want to have, giving me the illusion that my life is lacking and that I need to chase and acquire more and more and more.

When we aren’t firm with our identities and beliefs, it’s so easy to fall deep into the internet void. It could subtly damage our lives by exposing us to too much information and sidetracking us from our true purpose.

In the thick of all of this, what led to my breakthrough is a conversation I had with my boyfriend. He also opened up to me about his similar struggle, and we both knew that something needed to change and we had to hold each other accountable. It really helped that we both took the time to zoom out and cut through the noise—in our case, intentionally lessening screen time and replacing it with something life-giving. The time I spent with futile and wordly information, I replaced with the Word, the Truth.

One very practical thing we both decided to do was to not check our phones the moment we wake up. It sounds so simple but it honestly made the biggest difference. I learned to grab my Bible instead of my phone and take the first few moments of my day to meditate and pray. After just a few days, I already noticed such a big difference in my mood and it lessened my impulse to grab my phone during idle moments. More than anything, I also finally found time to reflect, reprioritize, and recenter.

As with a lot of breakthroughs in the past, I again discovered so many things about myself and my truest desires. One of my major realizations is that most of the things I see and hear online don’t truly resonate with my soul. They could be interesting, enticing even, but they don’t truly align with my God-given purpose and identity.

If I really look at my life now, I am content and grateful for everything that I have. My life is beautiful—it’s silent, peaceful, and meaningful. It’s contrary to what the world sees as a “full life” but my heart and my soul are immensely full of love—the love I receive from God and from the people closest to my heart.

I found that there is also growth as I learn to be diligent in the little, day-to-day things, and as I step into my current roles with commitment and presence. I am learning to be content with my season by simply showing up, not always expecting something grand from my daily life. I am learning to keep my feet on the ground and to sink my roots deeper.

It’s a season of building stronger foundations and not thinking too much of the future, knowing that my God is with me and will not withhold any good thing from me. As I show up in my day to day, my character is transforming and my faith is growing. I know everything else will simply follow.

It feels like was I forcing my seeds to grow when I didn’t really have enough resources to cultivate them. There’s still so much I need to learn, and I can’t just fast forward to my “answered prayer” when I’m not even prepared for it yet. Watering a plant too much can cause it to wither. Bombarding myself with too much information on the “best” way can only distract me from my goals. Overstimulating and forcing myself beyond my capacity can also lead to burnout. Not being attentive to what God is currently teaching me, and letting the noise get the best of me can potentially lead to my downfall.

There is a time and a season for everything, Maybe it’s a matter of being attentive to what our present circumstances have to teach us. I don’t have to force anything. Whatever is right for me will come to me, and it’ll come at the right time and place. I trust my God wholeheartedly to hold on to that every single day.

My friends, it’s so much easier said than done, but I pray we all learn to cut through the noise and simply show up and be better versions of ourselves everyday. You’re doing great. Don’t let the internet tell you or make you feel otherwise.