How Technology Is Reshaping Our Minds: Dr. Nicholas Kardaras on Tech Addiction and What You Can Do About It

We’ve never been more connected — or more addicted.

In today’s world, the average adult unlocks their phone over 150 times a day. Children as young as 2 are regularly exposed to screens for hours at a time. And what most people dismiss as “normal” tech use is actually warping our brains, hijacking our dopamine, and shaping how we think, work, and relate to others.

This article is based on The Impossible Life Podcast Ep. 200 | Dr. Nicholas Kardaras on Tech Addiction, Its Impact, & Raising Tech-Healthy Kids — a milestone episode featuring one of the world’s leading authorities on digital addiction. Dr. Kardaras has treated thousands of tech-dependent kids and adults, authored the bestselling book Glow Kids, and spoken globally about the silent epidemic of our screen-saturated culture.

“Tech addiction is the most powerful, pervasive, and socially accepted behavioral addiction we’ve ever seen.” — Dr. Nicholas Kardaras

This isn’t just about screen time. It’s about what screens are doing to us — especially to kids whose brains are still developing, and to adults whose purpose and relationships are quietly eroding.

What Is Tech Addiction (And Why You Should Care)

Dr. Kardaras defines addiction as any behavior that continues despite negative consequences. It doesn’t matter if it’s alcohol, gambling, or screens. If it’s costing you your health, your family, or your purpose — and you keep doing it — it’s addiction.

“Addiction is when something is harming your life and you still can’t stop doing it.” — Dr. Nicholas Kardaras

Tech addiction hides in plain sight. Unlike traditional addictions, it’s socially accepted — even rewarded. But it’s no less destructive. Kardaras calls it the most insidious and normalized behavioral addiction in history.

Why? Because it doesn’t discriminate. It affects:

• Toddlers and teens

• CEOs and stay-at-home parents

• Entire families, across every generation

And the consequences are real: fractured attention, emotional numbness, lost purpose, and fractured relationships — all quietly eroded by a glowing screen.

The Devastating Impact on Kids

Screens don’t just distract kids — they shape them.

Dr. Kardaras warned that early and excessive screen exposure stunts creativity, focus, imagination, and emotional development. Children’s brains are like sponges — but screens harden that sponge before they develop the tools to think, imagine, and connect.

“Screens act as a toxin in early childhood. They compromise attention, creativity, and even the ability to visualize.” — Dr. Nicholas Kardaras

Children who are chronically exposed to tech often:

• Struggle to play without stimulation

• Lose their ability to visualize while reading

• Display behavioral shifts like numbness, anxiety, or detachment

• Develop dependencies that look like addiction

And while short tech cleanses may offer temporary relief, long-term, consistent exposure causes real damage to brain development — particularly in boys, and especially in kids with ADHD or trauma.

“A bored kid learns to imagine. A stimulated kid learns to consume.” — Dr. Kardaras

The stakes are high. The cost is real. And the solution starts at home.

Adults Are Addicted, Too — And It’s Ruining Lives

Tech addiction doesn’t stop at childhood. Adults are often worse off — not because they use more, but because they justify it.

“We’ve become tools of our tools.” — Dr. Nicholas Kardaras

Kardaras shared real-life interventions with adults whose tech addiction ruined their marriages and parenting. One 42-year-old father came home from work every night and retreated into video games until 3 a.m., ignoring his family.

When his son was asked about their relationship, he broke down in tears and said, “My dad loves video games more than he loves me.”

That’s not just addiction — that’s devastation.

Tech addiction in adults shows up as:

• Escapism from boring or painful realities

• Sleep deprivation and diminished performance

• Reduced memory and attention span

• Emotional detachment and relational breakdown

We don’t need more dopamine. We need more discipline, purpose, and presence.

What’s Really Missing: Purpose

At the core of tech addiction is a deeper ache: a longing for meaning.

“When people lack purpose, they turn to digital escapes. Video games, social media — it becomes their counterfeit mission.” — Garrett

Dr. Kardaras emphasized that addiction is rarely just about the substance or behavior — it’s about what’s missing. People are either:

• Escaping a life they don’t like, or

• Seeking something they’re not getting

Tech offers a fake version of both — entertainment that numbs and “connection” that isn’t real.

“We’re made to play a part in a bigger mission. When people don’t feel that, they turn to screens.” — Garrett

Whether it’s kids who crave belonging and adventure, or adults searching for meaning beyond their job, the antidote isn’t less tech — it’s more purpose.

5 Practical Strategies to Win the Tech War

Dr. Kardaras didn’t just sound the alarm — he gave actionable steps. Here are some of the most impactful:

1. Delay screen exposure for kids as long as possible — especially under age 6

2. Don’t use screens as a babysitter — let kids be bored and use their imagination

3. Schedule weekly tech fasts — even just one day offline can reset your mind

4. Model healthy tech use — your kids will do what you do, not what you say

5. Reconnect to real purpose — through faith, family, and meaningful work

“You can’t fight tech addiction without purpose. God’s design is the ultimate reset.” — Dr. Kardaras

Final Thoughts: Manage the Tool — Or Be Ruled By It

Phones aren’t evil. Screens aren’t sinful. But when left unchecked, they become masters instead of tools.

If you’re a parent, lead boldly. Set firm boundaries. Help your kids build a life worth living, not just escape into a screen.

If you’re an adult, start with your own habits. Your presence is more powerful than any post. Your purpose is more fulfilling than any platform.

“Technology is a tool — but if you don’t manage it, it will manage you.” — The Impossible Life

This is your wake-up call.

Don’t just scroll past it.