Racial Divide, Gender Divide & Consumerism — Engineered by Social Media
The Broken Traditions Podcast with Leron Gaskins
Release Date: 04/25/2025
5 Ways to Destroy Phone Addiction and Crush Goals in 2026
The Broken Traditions Podcast with Leron Gaskins
If you have big goals for 2026 but feel constantly distracted, overwhelmed, or stuck, this episode breaks down why—and how to fix it. Phone addiction isn’t a lack of discipline. It’s the result of technology engineered to steal attention, fragment focus, and quietly drain ambition. In this episode of The Broken Traditions Podcast, Leron Gaskins shares five evidence-based strategies to help you break free from digital overconsumption and reclaim control of your time. You’ll learn: Why smartphones are designed to hijack your focus How constant notifications destroy deep work and...
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Facebook's Angry Reaction Killed Our Peace | How Platforms Engineer Outrage
The Broken Traditions Podcast with Leron Gaskins
On February 24, 2016, Facebook rolled out “Reactions” globally—and the internet quietly changed.What looked like a harmless upgrade (Love, Haha, Wow, Sad, Angry) became something much bigger: a system that could measure emotion—especially anger—and turn it into data, engagement, and ad revenue. In this episode of Broken Traditions, I break down how the Angry reaction helped normalize rage as a daily online habit, why platforms don’t just “allow” outrage but engineer and monetize it, and how that paved the way for modern ragebait content across Facebook, YouTube, TikTok,...
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Questions That Lead To Conversation- Live Stream Replay
The Broken Traditions Podcast with Leron Gaskins
The month of December, everyday I have been uploading questions on TikTok,Instagram and Youtube Shorts. Tonight I'm doing a live stream on my Youtube channel 'The Broken Traditions Podcast' I want us to have a more in-depth conversation about these question and some fun. Join me tonight Friday December 12 at 6:00 PM EST and join the conversation.
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Your Phone Is Destroying Your Family Right Now | EP 014
The Broken Traditions Podcast with Leron Gaskins
If a stranger walked into your house and watched your family for one hour… would they say everyone is living together or living apart on separate screens?
In this episode of the Broken Traditions Podcast, Leron Gaskins unpacks how the overconsumption of digital devices is quietly reshaping your home—your kids, your relationship, and the emotional temperature of your entire household.
Inside this conversation, you’ll hear:
Why just having your phone
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Twitter Bots EXPOSED: Why X Showing Locations Matters | EP 013
The Broken Traditions Podcast with Leron Gaskins
X, formerly known as Twitter, just quietly dropped a feature that changes everything: “About This Account.” Now you can see where an account was created and where it’s based—and it’s exposing a whole lot of fake political pages, foreign bot farms, and rage-bait accounts pretending to be everyday Americans.
In this episode of the Broken Traditions Podcast, I break down:
How X’s new feature shines a light on fake “America First” and MAGA-style accounts base
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How Phone Addiction DESTROYS Your Driving | EP 012
The Broken Traditions Podcast with Leron Gaskins
We’re living in a time where more drivers are scrolling than steering — and the results are deadly.
In this episode of Broken Traditions, I break down how phone addiction is destroying our ability to drive safely and why distracted driving has become a cultural epidemic in America.
We dive into:
• The rise of scrolling behind the wheel
• How dopamine hijacks your brain while driving
• Why attention spans are collapsing
• Phantom notifications a
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How the Pandemic Broke Our Brains: Screen Time, Anxiety & the Collapse of Attention | EP 011
The Broken Traditions Podcast with Leron Gaskins
The pandemic ended… but the damage didn’t.
In this episode of the Broken Traditions Podcast, Leron breaks down how COVID forever changed the way we use our phones — and why many of us never recovered from our digital habits.
We talk about how lockdown rewired our brains, collapsed our attention spans, increased anxiety, fueled teen depression, damaged our relationships, and reshaped our bodies through chronic fatigue, eye strain, and a sedentary lifestyle.
If
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Starting Dec 16: Is Meta Using Your DMs To Train AI For Ads? *Live Stream Replay Bonus Episode*
The Broken Traditions Podcast with Leron Gaskins
➡️ Download my FREE workbook The Digital Release: 7-Day Guide to Escape the Digital Cell and Reclaim Your Freedom here:
Is Meta getting ready to use your Instagram and Facebook
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Porn Is a Bigger Problem Than We Know | EP 010 | ft. Lenny Bradley
The Broken Traditions Podcast with Leron Gaskins
➡️ Download my free workbook The Digital Release: 7-Day Guide to Escape the Digital Cell and Reclaim Your Freedom here:
Porn Addiction in Your Pocket: Why Accessibility Matters
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Why Being BORED Might Be the SMARTEST Thing You Do | EP 009
The Broken Traditions Podcast with Leron Gaskins
Download my free workbook The Digital Release: 7-Day Guide to Escape the Digital Cell and Reclaim Your Freedom here:https://brokentraditions.com/products/the-digital-release-7-day-guide-to-escape-the-digital-cell-and-reclaim-your-freedom
We’ve replaced every quiet moment with a scroll. In this reflective episode
info_outlineWhat if I told you everything we’re arguing about — race, gender, identity, and even what we buy — is being engineered by social media?
In this episode of Broken Traditions, we break down how the algorithm is replacing critical thinking with chaos. From the racialized reaction to Austin Metcalf's death… to gender wars that never end… to people rioting over Trader Joe’s tote bags — it’s clear: the algorithm isn’t just suggesting content anymore. It’s programming culture.
🔍 Topics Covered:
Lupe Fiasco’s “The Instrumental” and the death of critical thinking
How the internet racialized the Austin Metcalf/Karmelo Anthony tragedy
The toxic gender war between Black men and women online
Consumerism and clout-driven buying trends (Trader Joe’s, Stanley cups, sneakers)
How influencers replaced values, and the algorithm replaced identity
📘 Book Mentioned: Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman
🎙️ Hosted by: Broken Traditions
📅 Released: April 24, 2025
👇 Let me know in the comments:
Do you think social media is helping us… or programming us?
#BrokenTraditions #SocialMediaMindControl #FreeThinkersOnly #AustinMetcalf #KarmeloAnthony #GenderWar #Consumerism #TraderJoesToteBag #CriticalThinking #LupeFiasco #AmusingOurselvesToDeath #RaceBaiting #AlgorithmAddiction #UnlearnAndRebuild
To Listen To The Broken Traditions Podcast on Youtube Click Here https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbe8sFO7JwuV-jRKYhrkJuqnA0qlbfCeR
🎧 Become a Tradition Breaker for Exclusive Perks!
Gain early access to podcast episodes, bonus content, and more:
➡️ Join the Movement – www.brokentraditions.com
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📰 Stay in the Loop
📩 Newsletter – Get exclusive updates & insights: www.brokentraditions.com
📧 Email – Reach me directly at leron@brokentraditions.com
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Discover untold stories of Black history and culture. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/aVoy8HdbXPKmyPpy7
📱 Stay Connected
📷 Instagram – www.instagram.com/broken_traditions
📹 Rumble – www.rumble.com/user/BrokenTraditions
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🧵 Threads – www.threads.net/@broken_traditions
📘 Facebook – www.facebook.com/brokentraditionstv
Thank you for supporting Broken Traditions! Let’s break away from the toxic cycles and build a stronger community together!
📌 Chapters:
00:00 – Intro: Lupe Fiasco’s Warning in “The Instrumental”
Lupe saw it coming — how passive consumption would kill critical thinking.
03:23 – Segment 1: The Racialized Reaction to Austin Metcalf’s Death
How the internet hijacked a tragedy and made it racial before the facts were clear.
13:33 – Segment 2: From Grief to Propaganda — White Lives Matter Rally
A man mobilized a rally off false narratives — without the family’s permission.
28:36 – Segment 3: The Gender War That Keeps Us Divided
Online content profits off pain between Black men and women. But in real life? People still want love.
35:08 – Segment 4: Consumerism, Clout, and Canvas Tote Bags
Trader Joe’s, Stanley cups, sneakers — we’re shopping for identity, not utility.
41:15 – Closing: The Algorithm Is Your New Pastor
When influencers replace values and clicks replace truth — who’s really in control?