The Broken Traditions Podcast with Leron Gaskins

We Go Out Just To Look At Our Phones (Why This Is Problematic)

"When we're locked in a digital cell, we are nothing but flies hitting the window." Why do we pay good money to go out on dates and link up with our closest friends, only to spend the entire night staring straight down at a glowing screen? On this episode of Broken Traditions, Leron Gaskins (Big Ellie) breaks down an unfiltered, boots-on-the-ground social study he conducted while sitting at an Atlanta hookah lounge with his wife, Lex. Observing a single long couch against the wall, Leron witnessed three distinct groups demonstrating the exact modern crisis of digital incarceration. In this episode, we unpack the psychological, biological, and spatial damage of public phone dependency: * The Couple: The clinical reality of "Phubbing" (phone-snubbing) and how it registers in the human brain as a painful micro-rejection rather than a harmless distraction. * The Friend Group: Why "F-Phubbing" spreads like a highly contagious social virus across dinner tables, completely destroying voluntary equity and real-world conversation flow. * The Solitary Scroller: The physical dangers of becoming an "Earphone Zombie" in public spaces, including the acute collapse of your peripersonal space defense bubble down to the exact 6-inch parameters of your smartphone. Finally, Leron gives major props to a well-known hip-hop artist who bucked the trend, and issues a non-negotiable table challenge to help you and your circle reclaim your shared reality. 💎 JOIN THE COMMUNITY ON PATREON The Broken Traditions Podcast is community-powered. By joining our Patreon, you aren't just a listener—you're a partner. Get exclusive deep-dives, early episode access, and behind-the-scenes content. 🫶🏾 Support the mission: https://www.patreon.com/c/LeronGaskins [https://www.patreon.com/c/LeronGaskins] The Broken Traditions Podcast is the only space dedicated to exploring digital overconsumption through a Black perspective. We bridge the gap between tech habits and cultural traditions to help you live more intentionally. Affiliate Partners & Tools Bark: Comprehensive parental controls to monitor and manage your family's digital exposure to the "Three S's." https://barkparentalcontrols.pxf.io/c/6687714/1430413/17000?adname=affiliate_home_page [https://barkparentalcontrols.pxf.io/c/6687714/1430413/17000?adname=affiliate_home_page] Brick: A physical device that lets you "brick" your phone, removing addictive apps and helping you stay present. https://getbrick.com/?snowball=LERON81980 [https://getbrick.com/?snowball=LERON81980]

Why the "Next Episode" Button Is Secretly Destroying Your Life

Have you ever found yourself trapped in an endless midnight loop, promising yourself "just one more episode," "just five more minutes of scrolling," or "just one more game"? On this episode of Broken Traditions, Leron Gaskins (Big Ellie) exposes the hidden, daily toll of the "Next Episode" trap. Driven by a personal wake-up call after staying up late binging a series on Netflix, Leron tracks the devastating physical and neurological consequences of choosing a screen over sleep. From the corporate strategies of tech and streaming platforms explicitly designing interfaces to target your sleep as market competition, to the terrifying reality of involuntary "Microsleeps" while driving down the highway, this episode serves as an unfiltered look at digital incarceration. Leron breaks down the cutting-edge science your feed won't show you: how a sleep deficit drops male testosterone levels by 10 to 15%, how it creates micro-lapses in stabilizer muscles that lead to gym injuries, a 2017 UCLA study equating sleep-deprived neurons to a state of alcohol intoxication, and a 2025 MIT study revealing why awake brain-cleansing pulses induce severe mental fog. Finally, discover why sleep loss sparks a massive 60% reactivity spike in your emotional control centers, turning minor daily annoyances into major relationship friction. It's time to stop watching the simulation, go outside, and live in reality. Take the 1-week, 9:00 PM digital blackout challenge and reclaim your mind. 💎 JOIN THE COMMUNITY ON PATREON The Broken Traditions Podcast is community-powered. By joining our Patreon, you aren't just a listener—you're a partner. Get exclusive deep-dives, early episode access, and behind-the-scenes content. 🫶🏾 Support the mission: https://www.patreon.com/c/LeronGaskins [https://www.patreon.com/c/LeronGaskins] The Broken Traditions Podcast is the only space dedicated to exploring digital overconsumption through a Black perspective. We bridge the gap between tech habits and cultural traditions to help you live more intentionally. Affiliate Partners & Tools Bark: Comprehensive parental controls to monitor and manage your family's digital exposure to the "Three S's." https://barkparentalcontrols.pxf.io/c/6687714/1430413/17000?adname=affiliate_home_page [https://barkparentalcontrols.pxf.io/c/6687714/1430413/17000?adname=affiliate_home_page] Brick: A physical device that lets you "brick" your phone, removing addictive apps and helping you stay present. https://getbrick.com/?snowball=LERON81980 [https://getbrick.com/?snowball=LERON81980] STAY CONNECTED: 🌐 Website: http://brokentraditions.com [http://brokentraditions.com] 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/broken_traditions/ [https://www.instagram.com/broken_traditions/] ✉️ Business Inquiries: leron@brokentraditions.com [leron@brokentraditions.com]

Your Feed Wants You To Believe The Worst Of People

"The internet hides reality, but it amplifies the chaos." Why does your social media timeline always default to outrage, division, and toxicity? On this episode of Broken Traditions, Leron Gaskins (Big Ellie) exposes the psychological and corporate traps designed to warp how we view the world. Triggered by a recent family trip to a high school graduation on the south side of metro Atlanta—a school with a 90% Black student body—Leron contrasts the peaceful, high-class reality of the event with the chaotic viral moments our feeds have conditioned us to expect. Pulling back the curtain on the tech industry, Leron breaks down Negativity Bias—a primitive biological survival mechanism hardwired into our brains to look for danger. While our biology hasn't evolved to tell the difference between a real physical threat and a 60-second video looping on a smartphone, social media platforms ramp this glitch up a thousandfold for profit. Discover how modern algorithms turn toxic exceptions into cultural rules across all groups—from Black history to modern political wedges—and learn how to execute a 7-day digital audit to reclaim your sanity, your community, and your real-world relationships. 💎 JOIN THE COMMUNITY ON PATREON The Broken Traditions Podcast is community-powered. By joining our Patreon, you aren't just a listener—you're a partner. Get exclusive deep-dives, early episode access, and behind-the-scenes content. 🫶🏾 Support the mission: https://www.patreon.com/c/LeronGaskins [https://www.patreon.com/c/LeronGaskins] The Broken Traditions Podcast is the only space dedicated to exploring digital overconsumption through a Black perspective. We bridge the gap between tech habits and cultural traditions to help you live more intentionally. Affiliate Partners & Tools Bark: Comprehensive parental controls to monitor and manage your family's digital exposure to the "Three S's." https://barkparentalcontrols.pxf.io/c/6687714/1430413/17000?adname=affiliate_home_page [https://barkparentalcontrols.pxf.io/c/6687714/1430413/17000?adname=affiliate_home_page] Brick: A physical device that lets you "brick" your phone, removing addictive apps and helping you stay present. https://getbrick.com/?snowball=LERON81980 [https://getbrick.com/?snowball=LERON81980] STAY CONNECTED: 🌐 Website: http://brokentraditions.com [http://brokentraditions.com] 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/broken_traditions/ [https://www.instagram.com/broken_traditions/] ✉️ Business Inquiries: leron@brokentraditions.com [leron@brokentraditions.com]

From Rodney King to Jaden Pierre: Why We Only Record Now

Resources Mentioned "We became our own worst enemy through the guise of technology." On this episode of Broken Traditions, Leron Gaskins (Big Ellie) traces a devastating timeline of how the Black community became desensitized to its own demise. We begin in St. Albans, Queens, with the tragic killing of 15-year-old Jaden Pierre—a boy who was not in a gang, yet was sacrificed for "content" as bystanders recorded his final moments instead of calling for help. Leron explores the Digital Incarceration of our culture, moving from the horrific images of Lynching used to terrify us, to the Rodney King video that sparked a revolution, to the modern-day "numbness" where we view Black death as just another post in the feed. Ready to break the cycle? Grab your copy of "The Digital Release"—the essential digital workbook designed to help you regain control and protect your peace. ➡️ Download the Digital Release: https://brokentraditions.com/products/the-digital-release-7-day-guide-to-escape-the-digital-cell-and-reclaim-your-freedom [https://brokentraditions.com/products/the-digital-release-7-day-guide-to-escape-the-digital-cell-and-reclaim-your-freedom] Affiliate Partners & Tools Bark: Comprehensive parental controls to monitor and manage your family's digital exposure to the "Three S's." https://barkparentalcontrols.pxf.io/c/6687714/1430413/17000?adname=affiliate_home_page [https://barkparentalcontrols.pxf.io/c/6687714/1430413/17000?adname=affiliate_home_page] Brick: A physical device that lets you "brick" your phone, removing addictive apps and helping you stay present. https://getbrick.com/?snowball=LERON81980 [https://getbrick.com/?snowball=LERON81980] [Support the Show] If this episode helped you see your phone differently, please Follow the show and leave a 5-star review. Your support helps us reach more people suffering in digital incarceration. The Broken Traditions Podcast with Leron Gaskins. Stories, science, and solutions for a digital world. 💎 JOIN THE COMMUNITY ON PATREON The Broken Traditions Podcast is community-powered. By joining our Patreon, you aren't just a listener—you're a partner. Get exclusive deep-dives, early episode access, and behind-the-scenes content. 🫶🏾 Support the mission: https://www.patreon.com/c/LeronGaskins [https://www.patreon.com/c/LeronGaskins] STAY CONNECTED: 🌐 Website: http://brokentraditions.com [http://brokentraditions.com] 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/broken_traditions/ [https://www.instagram.com/broken_traditions/] ✉️ Business Inquiries: leron@brokentraditions.com [leron@brokentraditions.com]

Y'all Fell For It: The Megan Thee Stallion Trap & The Predictable Script *Live Stream Replay*

"I didn't come here to talk about Megan. I didn't come here to talk about Klay. I came here to talk about YOU." Broken Traditions, Leron Gaskins (Big Ellie) is holding a mirror to the culture. We aren't just looking at a celebrity breakup; we're breaking down a calculated Relatability Reset. From sports analysts to financial advisors, everyone in the feed fell into a predictable PR script designed to bank on our Digital Incarceration. In this bonus episode, we explore why Hip-Hop culture demands "Arrested Development" and why Megan had to be single again to save her business. We look at how this "trap" was set, how the internet played its part, and how these digital scripts are building a wedge between our people. OIN THE MOVEMENT (Livestream Schedule) Don't just listen to the replay—be part of the conversation! We go LIVE every 3rd Friday of the month at 7:00 PM EST. Join the "Cell" and talk back in real-time on: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Broken_Traditions_Podcast [https://www.youtube.com/@Broken_Traditions_Podcast] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brokentraditionstv [https://www.facebook.com/brokentraditionstv] * Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/LeronGaskins [https://www.patreon.com/c/LeronGaskins]