In a series of six posts, I explain how teachings from early Buddhist scriptures can help us break free from social media addiction. These teachings are found in the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, which outlines five strategies for overcoming compelling thoughts and urges.
One key piece of advice from the Buddha is to work through these tools in a specific order. If redirecting the mind to something positive doesn’t work, then we look at the drawbacks of addiction. If that too fails, the next step is to “ignore and forget” what obsesses us. That’s what we will explore today.
The discourse in the Vitakkasanthana Sutta is brief on this tool: when bad, unskillful thoughts related to desire, hate, and delusion keep arising, we should ignore and forget about them. It might seem easier said than done at first.
To illustrate, imagine someone with good eyesight seeing something undesirable. They would simply close their eyes or look away. While this sounds simplistic, it’s practical advice for reducing temptation.
Let’s look at this approach in two areas: external and internal activities. Firstly, consider the external. Just like keeping tempting snacks out of sight if you’re dieting, keeping social media apps away from immediate view can help. Try moving these apps to secondary screens on your phone so they’re not the first thing you see. Turn off those red notification badges and audible notifications to avoid being constantly interrupted.
Consider charging your phone outside the bedroom at night. This prevents your addiction from being the first thing you engage with in the morning. Use an alarm clock instead of your phone if you need to wake up at a certain time. By not having immediate access to the internet upon waking, you start your day free from temptation.
Moreover, during meals or social moments, mute your phone or place it out of sight. Some people even put their phones in a pile when dining out, with the rule that whoever touches their phone first pays the bill for everyone. This encourages being present in the moment and reduces screen time.
Meditation retreats are another excellent opportunity to disconnect from the internet and experience the benefits of being present. Some retreats require you to hand in your phone, but you can also choose to leave it in your car or switch it off and put it at the bottom of your suitcase. Creating barriers like putting your phone in a sealed envelope can help resist the urge to check it.
Now, let’s shift to the internal activity. There are two ways to use our eyes: focusing narrowly like a flashlight, or using a soft, relaxed gaze like a lamp that takes in the whole visual field. Softening our gaze helps us to relax our mind and body and broadens our internal focus. This relaxed state makes it easier to let thoughts and urges pass without getting caught up in them.
In meditation, when our eyes are tight and focused, our attention also narrows, making us more prone to getting lost in thoughts. However, when our eyes are soft and our attention is broad, we’re more likely to stay aware of our sensations and less likely to be drawn into distracting thoughts.
By relaxing our gaze, we create mental space that allows thoughts to arise and pass without engaging with them. This practice can help us “surf” our urges, observing them build up and then fade away without acting on them.
So, what have we learned today? We can reduce distractions by adjusting our environment and habits, turning off notifications, and charging our phones away from us at night. We can also change the way we use our eyes and attention to create mental space, allowing us to let go of thoughts and urges without getting caught up in them. In doing so, we can begin to break free from addictive patterns of thought and behavior.