Three Things I Do When the Internet Feels Really Loud
Lately, every time I open my phone, it feels like the world is shouting. The headlines are heavy. The debates are heated. And the voices are relentless. What makes it even harder is that many of the loudest voices claim to be speaking from a Christian perspective—but they don’t agree with each other. One insists that this is the Christian way to think, while another insists the exact opposite. And both sound so sure of themselves.
When I sit in that space for too long, it’s almost like I hear a ringing in my ears. It grows louder the more I scroll. It drowns out peace, and it threatens to cloud my focus. Have you ever felt that way?
When the internet feels really loud, I have learned that I can’t just wait for the noise to fade. I have to intentionally quiet my heart, reorient my attention, and steady myself in God’s truth. I don’t do this perfectly, but over time I’ve discovered a few simple practices that help me. Here are three things I do when the internet feels overwhelming:
1. I Anchor Myself in God’s Word
Above the endless racket of opinions, one voice speaks with authority, clarity, and peace: the voice of God in Scripture. When the internet feels especially loud, I don’t pull back from my Bible—I lean into it more.
I keep it open on my kitchen counter so I see it throughout the day. I enable push notifications from my Bible app, not just for a verse of the day but as reminders to lift my eyes off the news cycle and into God’s promises. I practice reciting my memory verse while folding laundry or driving in the carpool line. These little rhythms matter, because they turn down the volume of the world and tune my heart to God’s voice.
When I fill my mind with Scripture, I remember that God’s Word isn’t just another opinion among many. It is the firm and steady truth that holds me fast. The news might change by the hour. Social media might shift by the minute. But “the word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Peter 1:25).
2. I Go Outside
The loudness I feel isn’t always the whole world shouting—it’s usually just the internet. That’s an important distinction for me to remember. When I step outside, I quickly realize how quiet the real world actually is.
In my backyard, the loudest voices I hear belong to the crickets in the grass and the birds in the trees. I notice the breeze in the branches, the crunch of gravel under my kids’ feet, or the sound of their laughter when they’re playing tag. These are not small things; they are reminders of the God who spoke creation into being and still sustains it.
Sometimes I leave my phone inside and take a walk just to pray, naming the people and situations that feel overwhelming. I remember that God has given me this piece of grass to tend, this family to love, this community to serve. Stepping outside reorients me to the truth that while the internet may be noisy, God’s creation sings His steady, faithful song.
3. I Invest in My Home
When the noise feels too loud, I turn my attention to the space God has most clearly called me to steward: my home. My primary ministry is here—in my family, and in the community I can touch with my own hands.
Sometimes that looks like the deeply spiritual work of discipling my kids, talking with my husband about what God is teaching us, or praying with a friend from church. But honestly, sometimes it looks practical and ordinary. I might deep-clean a room, organize the kids’ clothes for the next season, or finally hang the picture frame I’ve been putting off.
These little acts of care are not wasted. They remind me that God is pleased with faithfulness in the small things. Investing in my home doesn’t solve the chaos of the online world, but it re-centers me on what God has given me to do today. And more often than not, I find that the noise fades as my hands are busy with the work He has entrusted to me.
A Quieter, Truer Song
The internet isn’t going to quiet itself anytime soon. The headlines will keep rolling in, and the debates will continue to rage. But as Christians, we don’t have to be swept up into every wave of noise. We can live anchored in the Word of God, attentive to the gifts right in front of us, and invested in the people and places God has entrusted to our care.
When the internet feels loud, I want to remember this: God’s voice has not grown quiet. He is still speaking, still sustaining, and still guiding His people. And if we’ll listen closely, we’ll find that His voice is always louder than the noise.
Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world
They resound with God’s own heart
Oh, let the ancient words impart
Words of life, words of hope
Give us strength, help us cope
In this world, where e’er we roam
Ancient words will guide us home
Ancient words ever true
Changing me and changing you
We have come with open hearts
Oh, let the ancient words impart
(Ancient Words, Hymn Lyrics)
