Pastor Warns of Smartphone's Growing Threat on Chicago's South Side

A community leader on Chicago's South Side is sounding the alarm about a threat he believes is becoming as dangerous as the gangs he has fought for decades: the smartphone.

Pastor Corey Brooks, founder of New Beginnings Church of Chicago and Project H.O.O.D., argues that while smartphones can offer opportunities for young people, their pervasive influence is contributing to gun violence and undermining family structures. He points to the rise of drill rap, a genre originating in his neighborhood, as a primary example of how the technology can be weaponized.

"Drill rap means 'kill rap,'" Brooks stated. "Some of it is honest storytelling about a life that most of the country has never seen. But some of it has become a weapon."

Brooks explained that fights previously confined to street corners are now being broadcast live on smartphones. These livestreams often include location tags, which he described as deliberate challenges, inviting conflict. Young people, some as young as 10 years old, watch these streams, anticipating and witnessing acts of violence.

"When the latter happens, it is me or one of the nearby pastors who has to host the funeral," Brooks wrote. "We then have to send our violence impact teams to the hospitals and homes of families to prevent retaliatory shootings. All from a livestream playing out on the phones of 10-, 12-, 14- and 17-year-olds."

He noted that police and prosecutors examine these livestreams for evidence, and comments made during broadcasts can sometimes be treated as confessions, leading to arrests. The same technology that can elevate a young artist can also lead to their downfall.

Beyond the street-level violence, Brooks highlighted the impact of smartphones within families. He described how parents struggle to disconnect their children from their devices, often facing resistance and accusations of isolation. The constant connectivity, he argued, can lead to children accessing pornography before developing healthy relationships, and it allows them to use information from search engines or AI to challenge parental authority, thereby weakening the parent-child bond.

"Parents are not always right, but the phone deprives the child and parent of the process of working through that misunderstanding and, in turn, weakens the fabric of their relationship," Brooks observed.

Brooks is not advocating for a complete ban on smartphones but for a cultural shift. He called for parents to reassert their authority by setting limits on phone usage, such as prohibiting their use at night and during homework or family time. He also urged the community to support parents in this effort, presenting a united front against the unchecked influence of the devices.

"A phone cannot love a child. It can only hold their eyes through the trickery of the algorithm. But somebody has to be there to hold that child and to love that child, and that must be us," Brooks concluded. "We have fought many problems in my community, from drugs to gangs. The phone may be even harder."