Uncontrolled Curiosity - A Little Examination of Conscience for Smartphone and Social Media Use

Regarding Duties

Do I impulsively or mindlessly pick up my phone or check social media feeds when I don't really need to? 

Is the time I spend scrolling through apps distracting me from fulfilling my daily duties and obligations? Do I pick it up to procrastinate and avoid my duties?  

How often do I scroll through social media feeds to distract myself from unpleasant feelings such as boredom, loneliness, stress?

Is it easy for me to senselessly swipe through a feed for 30 minutes leaving me with no real benefit, yet I continue to claim that I don't have time to pray or engage in spiritual reading? Do I spend so much time on my phone that I neglect my duty to prayer?

Do I pick up my smartphone as an excuse to hide from the obligations of my life?  

Am I seeking distraction so I can run away from my responsibilities?  

Does it really concern me and my duty to constantly check in and see what people are doing and saying on social media?

What reason do I have to be interested in the affairs of other people, if it has nothing to do with me or my duty?

Regarding Others

Am I so interested in other people's affairs that I'm not being mindful of my own duties to God? Am I neglecting my obligations right in front of me in favor of scrolling and reading about other people and their lives?

Do I ignore the people right in front of me to give attention to people on a screen?

When I look at someone's profile, read their bio, and look at their pictures, is there a real purpose in that or is this simply needless and idle curiosity?  

Am I looking at the profile of someone I don't like just to sneer at what they post and inwardly criticize them?  

Am I looking at someone's profile because I am jealous of them? Do I keep looking at it even though viewing it is building up feelings of contempt and bitterness?

When I engage in a chat or text message with someone, is there a real benefit to me and to them?  Are we helping each other to grow in virtue?

Regarding Anger & Anxiety

How many times do I see something on my phone that moves me to anger or anxiety?  

Does reading the news entice me to feel stressed and anxious at every crisis being reported?  

Do I engage in political or religious arguments that rob me of my peace of mind?  

Do I get increasingly irritated with certain people and the things that they post?  Does scrolling through my feed become a near occasion as sin as I struggle to be charitable?  Am I tempted to make mean, snarky, rudely sarcastic, or passive-aggressive comments to people I don't like? 

Does reading comment boxes make me overly-argumentative?

As I scroll through my social media feeds, do I realize that I am seeing hundreds of faces, opinions, ideas, and thoughts, all at once?  Is it truly good and beneficial for me to overwhelm myself with so much needless information?  Is this helping me toward my heavenly goal?

Regarding Sin

Do I use my phone to engage in sin (porn, piracy, etc.)? 

Is my phone such a source of sin & vice for me that I need to cut it off? “And if your right hand is causing you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.” (Matthew 5:30)

Have I ever wanted to pull my phone out and check notifications during Mass?  

Am I unable to concentrate or finish my prayers because I need to check messages and notifications?  

Do I feel a constant need to take photographs of everything so I can show my followers later?  

Am I excessively preoccupied with a vain and prideful desire to share every trivial thing that I'm doing all day long?

Has the practice of my religion become something I "show off" to others online?  

Have my spiritual exercises and duties become something to photograph and attract likes and followers, rather than something I do out of love for God?

Do I make an honest effort to control my impulses to check my phone?  

Regarding Wasted Time

Am I honestly taking all of this information in and gaining good things from it, or am I just mindlessly skimming and not even remembering what I read?  

If I know every passing triviality of the world, am I better for it?  Does it bring me closer to God and eternal life?  Am I growing in virtue by paying attention to these things?

Am I doing what I should?  Am I pleasing God?