Are TikTok and endless scrolling killing our ability to think, pray, and even enjoy life? The truth: yes.

And it’s worse than you think. Entertainment isn’t entertaining anymore, it’s addicting. And it’s rewiring an entire generation.

What used to refresh us—stories, music, and conversation—has been replaced with noise that is designed to keep us hooked. The result? Shorter attention spans, weaker relationships, and a creeping emptiness that no amount of scrolling can fix.

In this episode of The Chris Stefanick Show, I sit down with Deacon Kyle Washut, president of Wyoming Catholic College (and a real-life cowboy 🤠), to talk about what’s really happening to us and how to fight back with faith, beauty, and real human connection.

Deacon Kyle also talks about the unorthodox and refreshing ways that Wyoming Catholic College forces students to unplug from screens and plug back into the world around them.

Timestamps:
00:00 The shocking truth about entertainment today
02:42 Why entertainment is dying (and what’s replacing it)
05:36 From culture to dopamine culture explained
06:52 Junk food for the soul: how short clips rewire your brain
08:41 How dopamine addiction kills prayer, focus, and relationships
14:29 The science: they studied addiction to hook you
16:31 From human to zombified: what screens are doing to us
20:19 Why Catholics can’t ignore this cultural crisis
21:45 A model of authentic Catholic education
24:21 Fasting from screens: sending students into the wilderness
30:54 Chesterton: joy, play, and the secret of worship
33:25 The Beethoven test: can you still wonder?
34:01 C.S. Lewis on measuring ourselves against greatness
35:29 Darwin’s warning about losing wonder and beauty
36:45 First steps to reclaim wonder and attention
40:25 Aquinas proves Christ’s humanity through wonder
42:05 Our Lady of Champion vs. the fire of dopamine culture
48:32 Students recite Chaucer in Middle English

We weren’t created to be slaves to our screens. We were made for freedom. And the good news is you don’t have to stay stuck in dopamine culture. With small, intentional choices, you can retrain your heart to savor and wonder at life again.

So put the phone down, seek out something real, and be present with the people God has put in your life.

Kauai Pilgrimage: https://www.canterburypilgrimages.com/tour/kauai/

Wyoming Catholic College: https://wyomingcatholic.edu/
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