How to Become a Person After Smartphones Have Rotted Your Brain
Summary
The New Atlantis essay argues that smartphones and social media can erode personal identity, identifying three pathologies of digital life: counterfeit rites of passage, curiositas, and diminished agency. It offers three antidotes—effective rites of passage, studiositas, and leisure—to help individuals reclaim a solid sense of self and meaningful community in a hyperconnected world.