Racial Divide, Gender Divide & Consumerism — Engineered by Social Media
The Broken Traditions Podcast with Leron Gaskins
Release Date: 04/25/2025
Digital Incarceration: Why Doomscrolling Leads to Emotional Numbness
The Broken Traditions Podcast with Leron Gaskins
Have you ever looked at a tragedy on your screen and felt absolutely nothing? You aren’t heartless—you are likely suffering from "Digital Incarceration." In this episode, I share a personal realization I had at JFK airport. While the world around me was moving, I saw the news that PnB Rock had been killed and realized I had become numb. I didn't cry. I wasn't shocked. I just kept scrolling. This led me down a path to figure out: How did we go from the "Cultural Pause" of the 90s—when the deaths of giants like Biggie and Tupac stopped the world—to an era where tragedy is just another...
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Why I Removed My Content From TikTok & Spotify (The Truth About Ownership)
The Broken Traditions Podcast with Leron Gaskins
We are cheating ourselves out of our own intellectual property. In this raw livestream replay, I explain why I am officially pulling back from TikTok and Spotify. After a deep audit of my business and a disturbing look at the new Terms of Service for both platforms, the reality is clear: these apps are no longer just hosting our content—they are claiming ownership of it. From TikTok’s ability to sell your likeness to third parties without paying you, to Spotify training their AI on your voice and music, the game has changed. This episode breaks down the predatory nature of these...
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The New Big Tobacco? Why Social Media is Finally on Trial
The Broken Traditions Podcast with Leron Gaskins
Is this the moment the world finally holds Big Tech accountable? A landmark lawsuit has officially begun, alleging that social media giants intentionally designed their platforms to addict children, leading to a mental health crisis affecting millions. In this breaking update, we analyze the massive legal battle unfolding right now: The Split: Why TikTok and Snapchat quietly paid undisclosed settlements to avoid court , while Meta (Facebook/Instagram) and YouTube are choosing to fight . The Allegations: How features like "doomscrolling" and constant notifications are being compared to the...
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Going Viral Isn't Worth Your Freedom | The Don Lemon Church Incident
The Broken Traditions Podcast with Leron Gaskins
Broken Traditions Podcast — Bonus Episode Did Don Lemon and a group of protesters put themselves at legal risk by entering a church during a worship service—just to create content? In this bonus episode of the Broken Traditions Podcast, I react to a clip and legal breakdown raising a serious question: could this church interruption be viewed as a violation of the “Klan Act of 1870” (often discussed under the KKK Act / 18 USC § 241)—a law originally created to protect Black citizens from intimidation and violence, including at churches that historically served as organizing spaces...
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Why This Tragedy Is Dangerous to Watch Online (Bonus Episode)
The Broken Traditions Podcast with Leron Gaskins
This bonus episode of Broken Traditions examines the tragic case involving Rene Nicole Good and the broader psychological impact of doomscrolling, social media algorithms, and rage-driven content on mental health. As tragic stories go viral online, many people report feeling emotionally overwhelmed, angry, or increasingly numb. This episode explores what constant exposure to trauma, violence, and outrage is doing to the brain—and why so few conversations address the neurological cost of consuming tragedy at scale. If you’ve felt drained, angry, numb, or mentally overloaded by what you...
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Why Your Brain Shuts Down After Scrolling
The Broken Traditions Podcast with Leron Gaskins
Why is it so hard to look away? Leron Gaskins dives into the science of why our brains "break" after a session of doomscrolling. This isn't a lack of willpower; it's a primitive survival instinct being exploited by a billion-dollar business model. From the "Chihuahua" in your brain (the Amygdala) to the "Stone Age" wiring of our threat detection systems, learn the biological reason for your digital exhaustion. Leron provides a 3-step roadmap to reset your nervous system and move from "zombie scrolling" back to active living. Featured Resource: Download "The Digital Release" 7-day workbook to...
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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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Did Facebook Angry Reaction Monetized 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
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
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📌 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?