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​ From the Desk of Darlene N. Böcek Faith-building Fantasy, Sci-fi & Speculative Stories

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Dear Reader,

I’ve been wrestling with something for a long time, and I want to share it with you candidly.

Over the past few years, we’ve all sensed it—that slow pull of the apps, the scroll that never ends, the way our attention is quietly siphoned away.

Johann Hari wrote in Stolen Focus, “the algorithm has one driving principle: show you what keeps you looking.” Not what builds you up. Not what roots you in hope. Just whatever keeps your eyes on the screen.

And when you step back and look at the big picture, it becomes clear: these platforms aren’t designed for our flourishing. They’re designed for our compulsion. And addiction does not look good on a child of God.

Facebook’s own internal documents admitted that their recommendation engines push people toward division and extremism because that’s what keeps us scrolling. And as Cal Newport explains in Digital Minimalism, compulsive use isn’t a character flaw—it’s the business model.

(There’s one more reason I’ll share next week. It may persuade you, too.)

We weren’t made for this.

We were created for connection—real connection. The kind that listens, prays, encourages, blesses, and grows. The kind Scripture calls us to: “encourage one another and build each other up.”

Social media promises that, but it only delivers the illusion of closeness. It gives us “social superpowers”—recognition without relationship, influence without effort, 👉 connection without commitment 👈. And the truth is, that kind of “relationship without effort” diminishes us as much as it delights us.

That’s why I’ve made a decision.

I’m stepping away from Facebook and all algorithm-driven social media.

Because I can’t, in good conscience, keep drawing my own eyes, and my readers—you—onto platforms that quietly undermine the very things we’re trying to cultivate: depth, thoughtfulness, encouragement, and real spiritual growth.

Jaron Lanier puts it bluntly: “If you have the latitude to quit and don’t, you are only reinforcing the system that traps others.”

I believe that.

And I believe if I have the freedom to choose a healthier, more intentional way to gather community, I should. I want to model a life where creativity, discipleship, imagination, and meaningful conversation don’t have to be filtered through an advertising engine.

A note about the podcast and YouTube.

Some of you have asked about the upcoming podcast and where it will live. Honestly, I’m still praying and thinking through how best to handle YouTube. It can be just as much of a time-suck as any other social platform—but it’s also more content-driven, more intentional, and far less about endless scrolling.

I’m considering using it only as a way to host long-form teaching and podcast episodes—almost like a library shelf—rather than a place to engage in an endless feed. I’d love your thoughts on this as we walk forward together.

So here’s where I’m going.

Over the past year I’ve created a dedicated community space—off social media, away from the algorithms, built intentionally for:

• encouragement
• Scripture and reflection
• thought-provoking articles
• memes that build up, not tear down
• real conversation without Big Brother listening in

It’s called the ScrollKeepers Community, and it’s hosted on Wylo—a simple, clean SAFE platform that doesn’t push ads, track your behavior, or try to turn your friendships into sales funnels.

And because stories shape us just as deeply as study, we’ll talk about fiction too—mine and others’—both in the podcast and as part of the same conversation about faith, imagination…

and the themes at the heart of the ScrollKeepers Bible Study system.

It’s ours. A place where we can think deeply again. A place where our attention belongs to God, not an algorithm. A place where we can truly build one another up.

I’d love for you to join me there.

👉 Join the ScrollKeepers Community​

Life is short. Our days are precious. And I don’t want to spend mine feeding an addiction-machine when I could be investing in you—and you in me—in ways that actually matter.

Thank you for walking this journey with me. Thank you for caring about the same things I care about: truth, hope, imagination, and the deep things of God.

Let’s build something better together.

With gratitude and joy,

Darlene

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