‘My younger sister challenged me to aim not for forty but a hundred days,’ she says. ‘So I began on 1 January. I had been annoyed by my screen time for a while; I wasted hours watching videos on YouTube.’
According to De Boer, her social media habits were also affecting her faith. ‘My Christian faith is important to me, but all those apps and technologies were distracting. As a result, I felt less connected to God. These hundred days of fasting give me space and freedom to reflect on what truly matters in life. This lifestyle helps me live simply and be more aware of my feelings and emotions. Now I live closer to God and honour him.’
Christian novels and sermons
Since the start of the new year, the student has set aside her online routines. She hadn’t had an Instagram account for years, but now vlog updates on YouTube, marathon training videos, and Arjen Lubach’s shows have also disappeared from her daily life. Only WhatsApp remains an exception.
How does she fill all the hours she used to spend scrolling? ‘I spend more time playing the piano, I play the ukulele, I’m learning to crochet, I read the Christian newspaper, I pray a few times a day, and I do household chores. When I crochet or go for a walk, I sometimes listen to a podcast. Those are usually related to faith as well, because I listen to sermons and Bible readings,’ she says. ‘I can do that now, because during my studies I often don’t have the time.’
‘I also read a lot of books. Recently there was a promotion on Vinted for second-hand books, so I ordered a whole stack. Funny enough, I used to hate reading.’ Her bookcase is filled with Christian literature. ‘Novels with Christian themes, but also books on theology and the Bible.’
'Now I experience my emotions more strongly than before' - Rosa de Boer
De Boer has gone further than simply avoiding her phone and the television. ‘I don’t wear my sports watch anymore either.’ Her reasoning is clear. ‘The more you measure, the more you know. That’s why I no longer track my steps or sleep patterns. All that technology pushes you to the limit and creates pressure. Now I experience my emotions more strongly than before. But because I no longer sit on my phone in the evenings, I can process what happened during the day much better.’
She has taught herself an entirely new routine. What felt strange and unusual at first became a habit after more than two months. Still, between all the reading and crocheting, she couldn’t resist a moment of temptation. ‘During the Winter Olympics I did watch the speed skating races. At that moment I was a bit less strict with myself.’
Challenge or lifestyle
De Boer is originally from Rijssen and grew up in a Reformed family. Moving to Enschede for her studies took her, as she puts it, slightly outside that ‘Christian bubble’. She did join the Reformed Students’ Circle (RSK), but there she noticed that her current lifestyle is far from common. She doesn’t know any fellow students who do the same — in fact, no one who observes Lent at all. ‘Students are surprised when they hear that I don’t watch films, for example. I can imagine my life sounds boring or old‑fashioned to others, but that is not how I experience it at all. People still find it admirable and respect it. And honestly, being bored occasionally is good for you,’ she says.
‘I can imagine that my life sounds boring or old‑fashioned to others, but that’s not how I experience it at all’
Does she recommend her approach to other students? She hesitates. ‘You shouldn’t do this as some kind of challenge,’ she says. ‘It has to come from within, because you want to break your dependence on your phone, for example. It brings me a lot — I feel happier and more energetic. Maybe next year I’ll try to raise more awareness about Lent.’
Again next year
For De Boer, it is a valuable period because it deepens her faith. ‘The suffering of Christ carries more meaning for me now. And by avoiding my phone, I experience emotions more intensely.’ She hopes to maintain some of these insights after Easter. ‘For example by picking up a book more often. And I will keep asking myself afterwards: do I really need social media and videos?’
At the same time, she acknowledges that social media also has its fun sides and can be relaxing — which means she is allowing herself a bit more leniency. ‘Strava will be the first app I use again,’ she says. ‘But next year I’ll observe Lent again. Will I go for more than a hundred days? Who knows! Maybe I’ll even convince other students to join me.’
