When Covid Shifted Our World: The Quiet Rise of Digital Dependency
When Covid struck in 2020, it felt as though the world took a sudden left turn into a different dimension. Life changed so dramatically that many of us still feel the aftershocks. Some changes brought unexpected blessings—greater workplace flexibility, the normalisation of home-based work, and fresh opportunities to connect digitally. Yet alongside these shifts came something quieter and more concerning: a rapid rise in isolation and screen dependency.
Screen time increased across the board, with many reports showing an average rise of around 20% during the week and even higher rates at weekends (NHS Digital; CDC Youth Risk Behaviour Data, 2021–2023). For many, screens became work, school, entertainment—and escape.
The impact on addictive and life-controlling behaviours was swift. My Men’s Sexual Issues Support Group grew from two to thirty-five in just a few weeks. Gambling rose by nearly 18% during the same period.
These were not isolated situations—they reflected a wider pattern.
Isolation is fertile soil for addiction and habitual sin. Most of us thrive on human connection, shared spaces, and community life. When those threads were cut, people suffered (American Psychological Association, 2022; UK Mental Health Foundation, 2021). A few introverts may have felt a breath of relief—but many more felt the weight of that separation.
Over the last year, several churches have reached out to Free! Recovery with growing concerns about youth and screen-time. The troubling pattern is that screen use is not decreasing; it continues to rise.
Yet there is hope...
One church in Hong Kong has used Free! Recovery videos and guides to help young adults reconnect with community and reduce their hyper-focus on devices. Another church in London is gathering youth around issues of screen-time and pornography, seeking healthier, more grounding rhythms of life.
Digital tools are not inherently harmful—they are woven into nearly every part of modern life. I’m writing this on a computer. I work on screens. I use a smartphone, a tablet, and I even have several old devices tucked away in a drawer. I still remember my first encounter with the “interweb” in 1997, when a friend showed me how to look up information online to keep me occupied. I went home that day and ordered a WebTV.
I was hooked—it really is that simple.
Since the early 2000s, the rise in computer use has been steady and expected. Schools demand it. Workplaces depend on it. Homework is now often digital. Many of us have swapped physical books for e-readers. Still, I personally prefer the weight and feel of a real book.
Research on screen-time continues to grow, and the message is consistent across the NHS, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and countless global studies: we must use screens wisely and with intention (AAP, 2019–2023; NHS Digital, 2022; WHO Guidelines on Digital Health, 2023).
Below is a summary of concerns based on widely cited health and psychological research, reflected also in your original document.
Physical Health Impacts
(General summary based on NHS Digital; Harvard School of Public Health; American Academy of Pediatrics)
Higher risk of obesity
Disrupted sleep patterns
Chronic posture issues
Eye strain
Metabolic concerns such as hypertension and insulin resistance
Mental & Emotional Health Impacts
(APA 2022; Royal College of Psychiatrists 2021)
Increased anxiety and depression
Behavioural challenges
Mood instability
Heightened stress levels linked to constant engagement
Developmental Concerns
(Child Development Journal; UNICEF Digital Wellbeing Review, 2023)
Attention difficulties and distractibility
Reduced opportunities for interactive social play
Delays in social and language development
Impacts on brain development during adolescence
Lower curiosity and emotional resilience
Screens themselves are not the enemy. They are simply tools—tools that can be helpful or harmful depending on how we use them and how connected we remain to others.
This moment gives us a chance to pause and reflect. To prayerfully ask the Lord to help us set healthy boundaries, reconnect with community, and pursue rhythms of life that nourish rather than deplete.
We are not powerless. We are invited—always—into freedom and wisdom.
PONDER – ACTION – PRAYER – CHALLENGE
Ponder
Where has screen-time quietly shaped your life in ways you didn’t notice?
Are there moments when devices have replaced real connection, rest, or time with the Lord?
Consider what your habits during and after Covid may be revealing about your heart, your longings, and your need for community.
Action
Choose one small, achievable step this week to create healthier rhythms.
Some ideas:
Set a “digital sunset” time in the evening.
Reclaim one mealtime as screen-free.
Go for a walk without your phone.
Reach out to someone you’ve not seen face-to-face for a while.
Small changes often open the door to deeper transformation.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, You see every part of my life—my strengths, my struggles, my distractions, and my habits.
Help me to walk wisely with the tools I use each day.
Guard my heart from anything that draws me into isolation, heaviness, or unhealthy dependence.
Teach me to seek You first, to value the people You’ve placed around me, and to build rhythms that honour You.
Thank You that true freedom is found in Your presence. Amen.
Challenge
For the next 7 days, pause before picking up a device and ask yourself:
“Is this helping me move toward God, toward others, or toward health?”
If the answer is no, choose a different path—even if just for that moment.
Write down what you notice at the end of the week. You may be surprised by the clarity, peace, and connection that emerges when you take intentional steps toward freedom.
John Childress
Co-Founder of Free! Recovery
Ideas are his, editing help from Sally, his wife and chat gpt.