The Allure of the Screen and the Erosion of the Soul: Smartphones, Fascination, and the Call to Contemplation

Mar 27, 2025

This discussion dives into the tension between contemplation and fascination in our digitally driven lives. It reveals how smartphones fragment attention, leading to superficial connections and diminishing true self-reflection. Inspired by a teenager's essay, the conversation emphasizes the need for balance, advocating for personal pledges to limit device use. There's a focus on cultivating intentional practices to foster deeper emotional and spiritual connections, challenging listeners to reconsider their relationship with technology.

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

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The Impact of Smartphones on Social Connection and Self-Reflection

01:50 • 2min

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The Impact of Smartphones on Contemplation and Connection

04:19 • 3min

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Navigating the Spectrum of Contemplation and Fascination

07:09 • 3min

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Contemplation vs. Fascination: Navigating Attention in a Digital World

09:39 • 17min

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Love's Braided Dance

Hope in a Time of Crisis

Norman Wirzba

Contemplation, The Movements of the Soul

The Movements of the Soul

Kevin Hart

Lands of Likeness

For a Poetics of Contemplation

Kevin Hart

This book delves into the concept of likeness and its connection to contemplation, exploring how poetic language can be used to express and understand spiritual experiences. It likely examines the relationship between poetic form and contemplative practice, analyzing how specific poetic techniques can facilitate a deeper understanding of the divine. The book may also discuss the role of imagery and metaphor in shaping our understanding of God and the world. It could explore the history of contemplative poetry, examining specific examples from various traditions. The author's expertise in Christian theology and literature provides a unique perspective on this interdisciplinary topic.

This Sacred Life: Humanity's Place in a Wounded World

Humanity's Place in a Wounded World

Norman Wirzba

In "This Sacred Life," Norman Wirzba delves into the profound relationship between humanity and the natural world. He explores how our actions impact the environment and the ethical responsibilities that come with our place in creation. Wirzba's writing is characterized by its poetic and contemplative style, inviting readers to reflect on their own lives and their connection to the divine. The book challenges anthropocentric views and promotes a more holistic understanding of our role in the world. It's a call to live more sustainably and ethically, recognizing the sacredness of all life.

This is an audio version of an essay on my substack, Process This. In it, I explore the tension between contemplation and fascination in the digital age, particularly regarding smartphone use. Inspired by my son's school essay on phone-free schools, I took up a Lenten social media fast. Learning how deeply our digital habits have affected our capacity for genuine connection has been revelatory. Inspired by recent conversations with philosophers Kevin Hart and Norman Wirzba, I develop a distinction between contemplation and fascination. Through their attention-fragmenting design, smartphones ultimately create hollow connections that diminish our ability to be present with others and ourselves. Rather than advocating for complete technological rejection, I think about intentionally cultivating contemplative practices as a counterbalance to digital habituation, suggesting that creating space for more profound attention may be essential to human freedom in our increasingly digitized world.

I hope you enjoy it and consider supporting my work by joining 80k+ other people on Process This. If you want to read or watch the essay, you will find it here on SubStack.

Related Resources

Norman Wirzba

Love's Braided Dance: Hope in a Time of Crisis (Book)
This Sacred Life: Humanity's Place in a Wounded World (Book)
“Attention and Responsibility: The Work of Prayer” in The Phenomenology of Prayer (Article)
Farm to Table Theology (HBC Podcast)
The Way of Love (HBC Podcast)

Kevin Hart

Contemplation: The Movements of the Soul (Book)
Lands of Likeness: For a Poetics of Contemplation (Book)

Hartmut Rosa

Being at Home in the World (Podcast)
Resonance In An Accelerated Age (Podcast)
Related books by Rosa:The Uncontrollability of the World , Resonance: A Sociology of Our Relationship to the World, and his newest book, Democracy Needs Religion.

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