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Robert Maginnis published an article yesterday with the American Family Association titled, "When the Virtual World Becomes the Real World."
The article can be understood, from a biblical perspective, as a warning about the growing tendency for people to substitute digital experiences for God-ordained reality. While technology itself is not inherently evil, Scripture consistently calls believers to live in truth, embodied relationships, and faithful stewardship of time—areas that can be distorted when the virtual world begins to dominate.
Some thoughts on how the virtual world can dominate the real world.
I'll also be talking about the latest news from the attempted assassination in Washington DC. on our radio program this morning.
Be informed, not misled.
Robert Maginnis, a retired U.S. Army officer and a senior fellow for national security at the Family Research Council, says, "I spent more than forty years watching how environments shape soldiers. Put a man in a foreign culture long enough, and his instincts begin to change—his sense of danger, his habits, even what he considers normal. What American parents are watching happen to their children follows the same pattern."
He continues: "Gen Z entrepreneur Adnan Alkhalili describes his own upbringing as 'scarily online.' By his early teens, he was waking in a dark room, rarely going outside, living on processed food and energy drinks just to function. At fourteen, he said he felt like a man in his seventies with nothing left to live for. Today, working with hundreds of college students, he says he has yet to meet a young person untouched by this lifestyle. His full account appears in a recent interview on American Thought Leaders."
Some personal observations
Parents recognize the pattern even when they can’t name it: the teenager who is always tired but never rests well, the child who prefers a screen to a conversation, the household where everyone is present, but no one is truly engaged.
Young people today are not simply online. Many now retreat into digital worlds designed to capture their attention, build habits, and connect them with strangers—often as an escape from real-life challenges. What used to be ordinary boredom—a normal condition of growing up is now filled instantly, leaving almost no space for reflection, sustained effort, or growth. Young people themselves call the condition “brain rot,” and the term fits.
Positively, the Bible affirms that humans are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27) and are meant to live in a real relationship with Him through Jesus Christ and with others.
Physical presence and accountability are central themes throughout Scripture. The concern arises when virtual environments—social media, gaming worlds, or digital identities—become more significant than real-life responsibilities and relationships. This shift can subtly draw the heart and mind away from what is true and eternal toward what is temporary and constructed.
Deception
One major danger is deception. The Bible repeatedly warns against falsehood and illusion (Colossians 2:8). Virtual spaces often allow individuals to curate identities that are not fully truthful, leading to a disconnect between who they are and who they present themselves to be. Over time, this can erode integrity and foster a reliance on appearances rather than authenticity. Spiritually, this creates fertile ground for self-deception, in which a person may come to value human approval over God’s.
Idolatry
Another serious concern is idolatry. Anything that captures the heart’s ultimate attention and devotion can become an idol (Exodus 20:3). When the virtual world becomes a primary source of meaning, comfort, or escape, it risks replacing God as the center of one’s life. This is especially dangerous because it often happens gradually. Time spent online can quietly crowd out prayer, Scripture reading, and friendships, weakening one’s spiritual life.
Isolation
Isolation is also a key danger. Although digital platforms promise connection, they can lead to loneliness and detachment from real relationships. Hebrews 10:24–25 emphasizes the importance of gathering together for encouragement and accountability. Virtual interactions, while helpful in moderation, cannot replace the depth and accountability of face-to-face relationships. A person who retreats into a virtual world may avoid the challenges and growth that come from real-life interactions.
Moral risks
There are also moral risks. Virtual environments often normalize behaviors that conflict with biblical standards—such as impurity, anger, or cruelty—because they feel less “real.” However, Jesus teaches that sin begins in the heart (Matthew 5:28). Engaging in sinful thoughts or actions online still affects one’s spiritual condition. The anonymity and distance of the virtual world can lower inhibitions, making it easier to justify actions that would otherwise be resisted.
Additionally, the misuse of time is a significant concern. Ephesians 5:15–16 calls believers to use their time wisely. Endless scrolling, gaming, or digital immersion can consume hours that could be spent in productive work, service, or spiritual growth. When the virtual world becomes the primary focus, it can lead to neglect of the responsibilities God has entrusted to each of us.
From a biblical standpoint, the solution is not necessarily rejection of technology but proper ordering of priorities.
Believers are called to live in the world but not be conformed to it (Romans 12:2).
Takeaway
When the virtual world begins to replace reality, it poses serious dangers—deception, idolatry, isolation, moral compromise, and wasted time. Spiritually, these dangers can and do draw a person away from God.
The biblical response is to remain grounded in truth, cultivate genuine relationships, and keep God at the center of every aspect of your life, including how you use technology.
Maginnis says, "Parents are the first line. Clear household limits—no devices at meals, no screens before bed, an expectation that effort precedes shortcuts—communicate something technology cannot: that some things require human work and will not be outsourced. More consequential than any rule, though, is presence. Where parents disengage, the screen takes their place."
Pastors need to address this with the same directness they bring to any other threat to spiritual formation. This is not a side issue; it is shaping how young people think, relate to authority, and understand where truth comes from.
Policymakers, meanwhile, need to move beyond symbolic phone bans and confront the structural incentives that make these platforms addictive by design. Removing a phone from a classroom does not fix a platform engineered to recapture that student’s attention the moment school ends.
We must maintain our humanity. The digital world resists that at every turn because it profits from the alternative. “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely” (Proverbs 10:9).
That security has never come from an algorithm, and it never will.
Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Vigilant. Be Engaged. Be Mindful. Be Prayerful.
