Impact of Smartphones on Modern Life

Smartphones have increasingly dominated daily existence over the last decade. Nowadays, it seems rare for someone to work, engage in leisure activities, or even step outside without their device, to the point where many individuals feel as if they’re living vicariously through their screens.

This reliance has potential negative consequences, according to Richard Ryan, who co-founded Black Rifle Coffee Company.

Individuals whose lives revolve around their mobile phones often find themselves in the role of content creators, deriving their sense of self-worth from the reactions of others viewed through a digital lens. The issue is that your value might hinge on whether the platform you choose supports your content.

“Imagine getting hundreds of millions of views, only for a social media platform to suddenly disable your content because they don’t approve of it,” Ryan explains on Blaze TV with Nicole Shanahan, host of “Back to the People.”

“It’s like a psychological shock when you’re completely cut off, and your self-esteem crumbles before your eyes,” he adds, highlighting how this phenomenon disproportionately affects younger individuals who form a significant chunk of the content-creating demographic.

“Consider the number of young people dedicating time to cultivate their presence online. It’s tragic when they suddenly lose their audience. The chase for social approval becomes all-consuming,” he notes.

There have indeed been heartbreaking cases of young social media influencers grappling with severe mental health challenges, some even resorting to suicide, after years invested in content creation. Shanahan reflects on this with a solemn tone.

Beyond content scrutiny, the concern extends to the dangers of not being present in the moment. Ryan points out how often people whip out their phones to capture every experience.

“Studies reveal that when you record an event, your mind files it as a memory linked to your device, not the event itself,” he notes.

“For instance, if you’re watching fireworks on July Fourth, and later post that video online, your brain might only remember the act of recording rather than the fireworks themselves,” he clarifies.

He’s drawn parallels to a daily commute: if the route remains unchanged, you might not distinguish one trip from another in your mind.

I can sort of relate to this. When I focus on capturing moments through my phone, there’s a nagging feeling that I might be losing out on forming genuine memories. The bigger implications of this, I fear, could be quite severe.

“You might witness long-term effects like cognitive decline, emotional detachment, and even disruptions in various neurological functions,” Ryan concludes.