How Platforms Engineer Addiction

Screens dominate modern life, quietly shaping habits, desires, and spiritual health in ways many people fail to recognize. Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar examine how smartphones and social media have become powerful tools that amplify the heart’s desires, often drifting from usefulness into addiction. While technology itself is morally neutral, the guys explain that human sinfulness and spiritual opposition twist good gifts into sources of distraction, dependency, and misplaced worship. Phones promise connection and reassurance, yet they often function as a substitute for stillness, prayer, and dependence on the Lord.

The conversation turns to how social media platforms are intentionally designed to be addictive. Drawing parallels to slot machines, the guys discuss dopamine-driven engagement and the reality that free apps profit by turning users into products. This constant stimulation rewires attention and interferes with spiritual disciplines like reading Scripture and being present with God. They challenge believers to consider how often they check their phones compared to how often they examine their souls, warning that unchecked use reshapes how sin is perceived, normalized, and even celebrated.

The guys then move into the personal and relational costs of excessive phone use. Social media provides comfort through distance, yet it fuels jealousy, gossip, and slander while deepening loneliness. Digital life replaces fundamental interactions with curated images, depriving people of everyday relational friction that builds maturity and resilience. They note growing social anxiety, loss of creativity, and diminished attention spans as consequences of constant engagement. Yet the discussion also highlights practical steps toward freedom, such as reading physical Bibles, setting boundaries, turning off notifications, limiting app access, and intentionally reclaiming attention from devices designed to control it.

Finally, the guys address parenting and responsibility in a digital age. They urge courage, honesty, and accountability when it comes to children and screens, emphasizing that guidance and restriction are acts of love, not burdens. Parents are encouraged to replace screen time with creativity, outdoor play, genuine relationships, and hands-on experiences. The episode closes with a call to fight rather than surrender, to confess unhealthy habits, and to invite family accountability. True freedom comes not from rejecting technology entirely, but from examining the heart, setting wise boundaries, and choosing to let Christ shape attention, affection, and daily life.

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Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.
Ray Comfort
Emeal (“E.Z.”) Zwayne
Mark Spence
Oscar Navarro