Trade the Scroll for a Better Start

We all know the routine: the alarm buzzes, the phone’s in your hand within seconds, and before your feet hit the floor, your thumb’s already scrolling. Social media, texts, the news, the latest notifications it all floods your mind before you’ve even spoken a word to God.

You’re not alone. In a survey of 8,000 Christians, over half admitted they scroll their phones within minutes of waking up, and among 18–29-year-olds, the number jumps past 60%. Most striking of all, 73% said they check texts, email, or social media before spending time with God.

This isn’t just a digital habit it’s a spiritual one. And whether we realize it or not, it shapes our minds, moods, and motives for the rest of the day.

Why We Scroll First

If you’ve ever wondered why you feel this pull toward your phone first thing in the morning, consider these six hidden motives three rooted in craving, and three in avoidance.

1. Novelty Candy

We crave what’s new. Whether it’s headlines or friend updates, there’s a rush to being in-the-know. It makes us feel in control, informed, important. But underneath that urge is often a subtle pride: we’d rather know than be taught, be the teller rather than the told.

2. Ego Candy

We check to see who noticed us likes, comments, replies. We’re searching for affirmation. In our fragile humanity, even a simple mention can feel like a balm. But feeding our ego first thing can skew our entire day, anchoring our joy in how others see us rather than how God does.

3. Entertainment Candy

We crave a dose of distraction. The internet offers an endless stream of the strange, hilarious, or captivating. But while it amuses, it rarely strengthens. Morning entertainment is candy for the mind but candy doesn’t build muscle, and it certainly doesn’t build spiritual stamina.

And then there are the deeper, more painful reasons we reach for our screens.

4. Boredom Avoidance

Sometimes the day ahead just looks dull. So we reach for stimulation, something to fill the vacuum of motivation. But that short escape doesn’t prepare us for meaning it prolongs the emptiness.

5. Responsibility Avoidance

When the weight of life hits, our instinct may be to hide even if just for five more minutes. Scrolling gives the illusion of control while we mentally avoid the real demands of parenting, leading, working, or caring.

6. Hardship Avoidance

For some, waking up is facing chronic pain, grief, relational strife, or anxiety. The phone becomes a brief escape from a reality that feels too heavy to carry. But escape doesn’t heal wounds; it only delays the ache.

What If There’s a Better Way?

Ask yourself what’s your first instinct when you wake up? Is it to hear from God or to hear from the world? Is it to center your soul or to distract it?

The Psalms offer a better blueprint: “O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.” (Psalm 5:3) “Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust.” (Psalm 143:8) “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” (Psalm 90:14)

Each morning is a chance not just to rise but to rise in joy. Not to escape, but to encounter the One who sustains you. Before you face the world’s expectations, why not first rest in God’s affection?

Make a New Morning Plan

If this digital reflex feels too strong to fight each morning, plan your victory the night before. Set your Bible (or app) where your phone usually goes. Write a verse on a sticky note and put it on your nightstand. Use an alarm clock instead of your phone. Decide now what tomorrow’s first moments will look like.

Because here’s the truth: your phone may inform you, entertain you, even distract you but it cannot strengthen you. It cannot prepare you to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). It cannot equip you to serve others sacrificially, to face suffering with hope, or to walk in the Spirit through the day's trials.

Only God can do that. And He waits for you each morning, not with condemnation, but with fresh mercy.

So, tonight, make the decision. Tomorrow morning, before the scroll, seek His face.

Share this with someone who wants to start their mornings better or subscribe to our newsletter to receive more soul-deep encouragement.