The Holy Scrolls! Vodcast

Welcome to the official homepage of the Holy Scrolls! vodcast, where faith meets tech!

Holy Scrolls! is a vodcast series with a Gen-Z and Millennial exploring social media addiction among young adults. Hosted by NBA’s Young Adult Leadership Development Director Rev. Bere Gil Soto and former NBA Mental Health & Wellness Program Coordinator Cameron Cunningham, each episode weaves psychology, lived experience, and faith as grounding lenses helping listeners understand how technology shapes our mental health, relationships, and spiritual lives.

The six-episode series will begin with the first episode dropping on Tuesday, February 3rd. A new episode will be released each Tuesday. Below you will find information on each episode and a link to view them.

Episode 1- When It All Began

This episode features stories of when social media first entered our lives. Bere and Cameron talk about their first memories with social media, how nostalgia shapes our emotional connections to digital media, the ways social media provides escape, and whether social media connected us to new people or distanced us from people physically.

Episode 2- Hooked By Design

Co-hosts Rev. Bere Gil Soto and Cameron Cunningham are joined by NBA’s Director of Marketing AleQ Bateman to examine the science and data behind why we can’t stop scrolling on our social media feeds. They discuss how social media is intentionally designed to keep us hooked; the way in which algorithms shape our identity, self-worth, and world-view; and why reclaiming our attention can be a meaningful spiritual practice.

Episode 3- The Comparison Trap

Barbara Borrroto, a mental health professional specializing in psychological rehabilitation, joins Bere and Cameron to look at the ways we compare ourselves to others online, even though those comparisons are often both misleading and harmful; how comparing our real lives to someone else’s often edited posts or videos can lead many to adopt real-life filters, changing behavior, appearance, or values just to fit in or keep up; and the freeing effect of people defining their worth and success without social media, allowing them to focus on personal goals, community, faith, and intrinsic worth rather than constant comparison.

Episode 4- The Both-And Dilemma

In this installment Bere and Cameron are joined by Rev. Taylon E. Lancaster, pastor of the Third Baptist Church in Springfield, MA and rising thought leader and activist, to explore whether digital communities can truly meet human needs for connection—spiritually, emotionally, and socially—or whether they ultimately contribute to isolation. They discuss how digital spaces can supplement embodied, in-person community but not replace it; how technology prioritizes ease and efficiency and doesn’t require the “cost” of inconvenience, time, and intentionality that rue community requires; and how community—rooted in presence, care, accountability, and shared life—is essential to human flourishing.

Episode 5- Swipe Right, or Swipe Real? (Coming March 3rd)

This week Bere and Cameron are joined by Rev. Whittney-Marie Murphy, founder and lead officiant of Reverend I Do Officiating, for a candid conversation about authenticity, performance, and connection in the age of social media and dating apps. They explore the idea that authenticity does not mean oversharing or abandoning boundaries, but instead involves intentionally choosing what truths to share with specific audiences. They also look at online dating and intimacy, noting how swipe culture shapes expectations around speed, perfection, and emotional labor in relationships. The episode underscores that real intimacy—whether romantic, spiritual, or communal—must eventually move beyond curated screens into embodied presence, honest conversation, and risk.

Episode 6- Digital Detox (Coming March 10th)

Bere and Cameron finish the series by examining how constant digital connectivity—particularly social media use—impacts mental health, relationships, attention, and spiritual life, particularly with young adults. Drawing from personal experiences, they describe signs of digital burnout such as compulsive scrolling, physical discomfort, emotional depletion, and difficulty sitting with silence or boredom. The episode then turns toward hope and practical reorientation through boundaries, limits, and intentional disconnection. The speakers highlight the benefits of digital boundaries and frame boundaries not as restriction, but as something that “gives back,” helping people move from compulsion to choice.