Forty days of fasts

The evolving practice of Lent in the digital era.

Written by Casey Couch

The modern world is fast-paced. Internet memes and the latest TikTok trend often overshadow the traditional aspects of life, but not all institutions are easily subjected to change. 

Through clicks and scrolls, the Catholic Church is a fossil, remaining unchanged in its traditions despite the ever-evolving digital world around it. 

Among these centuries old traditions is an upcoming season known as Lent, which begins on Mar. 5, in accordance with the liturgical calendar. 

The season of Lent refers to the 40-day period of repentance in the Catholic faith, beginning with Ash Wednesday and ending on Easter Sunday with the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

Overtime, the traditional practice of Lent has evolved to meet members of the church in the 21st century and serve its parishioners accordingly in the digital era. 

Fasting

Lenten fasting typically refers to the practice of eating only one full meal a day and abstaining from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all additional Fridays during Lent. 

For this reason, it’s common to see fish fries held at local churches on Fridays during the season (it’s even the reason a McDonald’s in Cincinnati created the Filet-O-Fish in 1962). 

The act of fasting is meant to imitate the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert before his crucifixion. However, in 2025, there is something much more addicting than food that was not around at the time of the Bible events: technology. 

According to a 2024 study by the Center for Internet and Technology Addiction, 85% of Americans go online daily and over 50% of Americans believe they are addicted to their phones. These numbers have significantly increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In the Catholic faith, time spent using technology takes away from time spent on spiritual practices or prayer, which is meant to be a priority for parishioners during Lent. 

Therefore, fasting from technology is proving to be a new type of fast that really challenges Catholics and tests their ability to have a strong self-discipline.  

Instead of spending an hour doomscrolling, time could be better spent on a more faith-based activity such as attending mass, prayer, reading or even spending time with loved ones. 

To do this fast, Catholics can utilize the screen time setting on their phones and set a daily limit, which will allow for less time spent on screens overall and perhaps even bring on a new beneficial habit after the 40 days have passed. 

Making sacrifices 

One of the most common practices during Lent is to give up or sacrifice something that gives one pleasure. This practice, similar to fasting, is meant to symbolize the impact that tangible goods and temptations have made on Catholics over time. 

Catholics do this because it allows them to test their self-discipline and prioritize their spiritual connections over material goods. Oftentimes, practicing Catholics will choose to give up a food or drink item, such as coffee, soda or sweets. 

These are still good things to give up, however, not all sacrifices have to be related to physical consumption. In the digital era, another thing to give up can be deleting a distracting or negative app from a phone. 

Doing this can lead to more time spent on positive or more enriching activities, and can also test a person’s temptations to not redownload the app. 

Another example of something to give up is unnecessary online shopping, which places tangible goods first and is often not a good use of money. Instead, that money can be saved or used for a positive experience, like taking a loved one out to dinner. 

Almsgiving 

Catholic practices during Lent aren’t just about sacrificing tangible goods. It can also be about spreading love to others by performing acts of kindness. This is known as almsgiving, one of the three pillars of Lent alongside fasting and prayer. 

These acts can include a range of activities, such as community service, volunteering at a church or community event or visiting the sick or elderly among other things. 

However, almsgiving can be much more simple. Broken down, it simply means that Catholics should love others as Jesus did, and this is where technology can be used for good. 

A small act that one can add during Lent to spread love is to call a family member or friend. This simple act can brighten someone’s day and help spark reconnections in each other’s lives. 

Prioritizing relationships during Lent is an easy way for Catholics to share love with one another and spiritually prepare for the joy of Easter.