Yes, absolutely, if you cut off that constant dopamine hit of stimulation, your brain may change back, and you'll be able to be more thoughtful. It takes a little while, it's boring and frustrating at the beginning.

I remember moving from a house-share living situation to a separate apartment. In the house-share, there was TV and cable. But in the apartment, I decided to not get a TV, and not pay for cable. I did look longingly at the little cable plug in the wall for a couple weeks...and then the desire was gone.

I've been with people like your friend. Just recently I sat next to a guy on a plane who spend the entire 3 hour long flight swiping on little short videos. It was impressive and depressing and also a little scary. I tried to engage with him just a little bit, but he had zero interest.