I recently got a text from a family member about an online deal that seemed too good to be true. So I did a little digging, and I discovered a slightly out-of-sync voiceover on a YouTube video claiming to be from a large company. From there, the pieces kept unraveling until all that was left was clearly fake.

Thankfully, we caught it, and my relative was spared from the devastation of an online scam. 

As much as I would like to take credit, it was not any tech-savvy skill of mine that protected us. It was something I learned from the Bible: to search for truth. 

And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. [12] As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.

Acts 17:11-12 NLT

I didn’t grow up religious, but I started reading the Bible when I was in high school. I found a great group of friends who helped me understand it, and they used this passage to teach me how to think about any new piece of information that came my way. They taught me that the Scriptures, not people’s opinions, were the absolute truth. They even told me not to trust their word over Scripture. “We might make mistakes,” they told me. “If we ever tell you anything that sounds off, always ask us to share Scripture.” 

Little did I know, they were teaching me a life skill that would be essential in the age of social media, misinformation, and generative AI. 

We live in an age of rapidly evolving technology. These tools can be used for good, connecting us with people all around the world and giving us the ability to spread faith and hope in ways we never could before. But they can also be used for evil, which is why scams—like the one directed at my relative—raked in a record $16 billion last year. 

That’s why we each need to make a “digital decision.” How will we use the technology and media at our fingertips? Where will we look for truth? Will we be influenced by or intentional about digital media? Here’s how I define our choice: 

• Influenced: Mindlessly consuming and posting media without thought for how it’s affecting us or other people. 
• Intentional: Deciding that digital media will not be our source of absolute truth; looking to God’s Word for truth instead, and consuming or posting online with purpose. 

The truth of the Bible will teach us to be thoughtful and wise about how we interact with the world online. This will not only protect us from harm, but also empower us to be proactive. We’ll be able to find the information we need and contribute to the world in ways that are effective and positive. 

How does the Bible help us with digital literacy? 

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. [17] God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT 

God gives us his Word through the Bible, and it acts as a compass for us. The Bible teaches us what is true and equips us to do good, two things we desperately need to survive and thrive online.

Having the Bible as the ultimate source of truth is essential, especially in a world where misinformation is everywhere. Without it, we leave ourselves open to all kinds of misleading influences that can shape our lives in ways we don’t want:

1. Digital media can mislead us about our health: A 2022 study analyzed popular TikTok videos about ADHD, and half of them contained misleading information. 
2. Digital media can mislead us about ourselves: Studies show that spending too much time on social media can lead to depression, anxiety, and a distorted sense of self. 
3. Digital media can mislead us about the world: In one study, AI search engines incorrectly cited news sources 60% of the time. 

The internet has the incredible potential to be used for good, but we won’t be able to do that unless we have a compass that guides us in the right direction as we navigate the digital landscape. 

The naive or inexperienced person [is easily misled and] believes every word he hears, But the prudent man [is discreet and astute and] considers well where he is going.

Proverbs 14:15 AMP

The Bible calls us to not be naive and believe everything we hear. To be “prudent” is to “act with or show care and thought for the future.” Through Scripture, God tells us that we need to consider well where we are going. When it comes to digital media, this means we can’t enter the online world blind. 

Are you being misled by digital media and technology? Here are a few signs of being misled that I’ve seen in my life:

• Using AI without checking sources. Software like ChatGPT can be a great time saver, but it makes mistakes more than we like to admit. 
• Reacting emotionally to everything we read. Not everything we see online is true. There are lots of “experts” who post things on the internet without any formal training or experience. It’s important to slow down and consider the full picture before we react.
• Posting for attention. Posting things in hopes of getting likes or even stirring up a controversial discussion are signs that media is misleading us. It’s making us think that these are effective or appropriate ways of handling our emotions.
• Doomscrolling. This is a sign that negative headlines are determining how we spend our time. We need a source of truth that helps us set healthy boundaries with what we consume.

Do you see any of these signs in your life? Do you have any other ones to add to the list? 

Being misled by media and technology is a challenge for everyone, regardless of how tech-savvy we might think we are. 

In his wisdom, God empowers us to be prudent and intentional about how we use digital media. When we walk with God and live by his Word, he will sensitize our hearts so that we pause and consider the effects of what we do on ourselves and others:

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 36:26 NIV

Having sensitivity to and awareness of people around us equips us to use technology and social media positively, focusing on loving others and spreading truth. I’ve seen the beneficial impact of digital media firsthand through my work on Deep Spirituality; I’ve met people whose entire lives changed for the better because an Instagram reel helped them see God in a whole new light. 

Let the words from the book of the law be always on your lips. Meditate on them day and night so that you may be careful to live by all that is written in it. If you do, as you make your way through this world, you will prosper and always find success.

Joshua 1:8 Voice 

The Lord, the Eternal, equipped me for this job- with skilled speech, a smooth tongue for instruction. I can find the words that comfort and soothe the downtrodden, tired, and despairing. And I know when to use them. Each morning, it is God who wakes me and tells me what I should do, what I should say.

Isaiah 50:4 Voice

When we prioritize spending time with God by reading his Word in the morning, we will be equipped to navigate the world with success, not just for ourselves, but to encourage and comfort those around us who need it. The internet gives us so much potential to do good, spread positivity, and help others discover they are not alone—but only if we let God’s Word guide us.

Digital media and technology change quickly. That’s why learning the latest software is not necessarily the best way to be digitally literate (although it helps). The best way to be digitally literate is to learn how to think and to make sure our lives are built on a bedrock of truth that can’t be shaken based on the opinion of an influencer or the mistake of an AI search engine. 

Four biblical ways to have a healthy relationship with digital media

1. Look beneath the surface.

“Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.”

John 7:24 NLT

Jesus teaches us to look beneath the surface and value depth. He wants us to make wise decisions based on what is true. The decision to be deep rather than superficial is one that will benefit every area of our lives, including our relationship with digital media. 

Being superficial means taking things at face value without looking beneath the surface. Someone posts a photo from vacation? We think they must be incredibly happy and relaxed. We see a news article with a dire headline? Everything is terrible. An AI summary says something we want to hear? Great, let’s move forward. 

This type of thinking reflects superficiality. One of the best ways to change it is to develop more depth in our own lives. When we practice looking beneath the surface in ourselves, we’ll apply the same approach to other things we see. We’ll understand that someone may have posted a nice picture, but there’s no way one photo can summarize everything about that person’s life or experiences. It’s just a nice photo. We’ll even be freed up from our envy long enough to compliment our friend on their photo or the place they are staying.

Looking beneath the surface is a great way to approach working with AI. When we are aware of our own motives (i.e. being stressed and wanting a quick answer) we will be more sensitive to our need to slow down and fact-check any AI sources. 

Digital media is full of temptations to look only at the surface, because everyone online is competing for our attention—from retailers to influencers. Content is created to grab our attention. When we take things at face value, we are unable to judge correctly and can get ourselves into trouble. Taking the time to analyze the content we take in will save us a lot of trouble in the long run. 

To practice looking beneath the surface, we can ask ourselves questions like these when we come across media content that stirs up an emotional reaction:

• Why is this person or organization posting this?
• What are the facts?
• Why is this causing a reaction in me? What thoughts am I having as a result of what I’m seeing? Are these thoughts true? Do they align with what I see in the Scriptures?

2. Set boundaries. 

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.

Psalm 16:6 NIV

We all have different limits as to what we can handle. One of the best ways to be digitally literate is to recognize our boundaries. Boundaries are limitations, and they actually keep our lives pleasant when we stay within them. 

While social media can have significant benefits, it also has downsides. There’s always a “too much,” even for things we enjoy or find beneficial. Social media breaks are associated with increased mental well-being and social connectedness. Unsurprisingly, taking a break from social media also decreases our experience of FOMO (fear of missing out). 

While there’s no one-size-fits all rule about how much time to spend on social media, awareness is key. We need to be aware of how much time we’re spending online and how it impacts us. Does it make us angrier? Does it make us more stressed out? Does it affect our sleep? At what point does it start draining us more than it energizes us? Are there certain times of the day when we are more prone to unhealthy habits online? 

We should know the answers to these questions so that we can set appropriate boundaries for ourselves and enjoy the pleasant experience of living within them. 

3. React less, reflect more.

Good sense and discretion make a man slow to anger, And it is his honor and glory to overlook a transgression or an offense [without seeking revenge and harboring resentment].

Proverbs 19:11 AMP

First of all, I encourage you to make petitions, prayers, intercessions, and prayers of thanks for all people, [2] for rulers, and for everyone who has authority over us. Pray for these people so that we can have a quiet and peaceful life always lived in a godly and reverent way. [3] This is good and pleases God our Savior. [4] He wants all people to be saved and to learn the truth.

1 Timothy 2:1-4 GW

Unfortunately, we are often faced with upsetting, scary, and disappointing content online. While we may or may not comment or post something in response, sometimes what we take in negatively affects our moods and outlook on life. 

Proverbs 19:11 shows us that when we have good sense and discretion, we will be slow to anger. From a biblical perspective, good sense means understanding the truth about human nature, spirituality, and the deeper reasons people do things. To practice looking at the world this way, check out our newsletter, The Chemistry Lab. It’s a place of deep discovery for people who want to look at the world through a spiritual lens. It will help you reflect on the world with understanding rather than anger. 

We can’t avoid all negative media because a lot of truths are hard and difficult, but God wants us to bring our feelings to him in prayer so we can find real peace the world can’t give us. Rather than reacting, we can take our feelings to God in prayer. This is a much healthier and powerful way to handle the pain and stress in the world.

4. Be helpful, not harmful.

Some of you say, “We can do whatever we want to!” But I tell you that not everything may be good or helpful. [24] We should think about others and not about ourselves.

1 Corinthians 10:23-24 CEV

Let everything you do be done in love [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us].

1 Corinthians 16:14 AMP

Our digital choices should be thoughtful and helpful to others. This means we should pause and think about the things we post, considering how they will impact others and not only how they will make us feel. Sometimes, social media can become an outlet for difficult emotions that we don’t know how to process. But using social media to process our feelings is unproductive and even harmful at times. It’s unlikely that our opinions will change someone else’s mind, and they can easily be taken out of context. 

1 Corinthians 16 tells us that everything we do should be done in love, motivated and inspired by God’s love for us. When everything we do is done in love, we will look for ways to be kind and encouraging online.

Before we post something online, we should stop to ask whether it’s helpful to other people. Does it help people find hope, courage, or confidence? Will people be encouraged by what they see? Does it express appreciation and gratitude? 

Or will it make people angrier? Will it cause division? 

We can’t control how people will respond to our content, and people can certainly get angry over almost anything. But we can control our own motives and decisions. We can decide to post things to encourage others rather than thinking only of ourselves. 

Questions for reflection

1. What type of digital media do I consume most ( ie TikTok, Youtube, X, IG, Facebook, TV, news)? How is it affecting my thoughts and emotions?
2. What’s my compass or source of truth? How often do I fact-check the things I see online with the truth of Scripture?
3. What are some ways I could create helpful content online or contribute to a positive online experience for someone else?

Next steps in developing digital literacy 

• Watch this video to understand digital literacy better: “Digital Literacy – Explained in 3 Minutes!”
• For more insight into specifically using social media prudently, check out our two articles:
  • Surviving Social Media with Your Heart Intact: A 3-Question Spiritual Checkup
  • How to Use Social Media for Good