In a set of six posts, I’m exploring how early Buddhist teachings can help us break free from our addiction to social media. These teachings are found in the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, which outlines five strategies for overcoming powerful urges. This discourse, often translated as “The Discourse on Quieting Thinking,” is referred to here as “the Social Media Sutra.”
In this context, “thinking” encompasses not only our internal monologue but also the emotional urges that come with it, such as the compulsion to use social media or surf the internet.
The first strategy is to focus on something beneficial in our experience. The second is to recognize the downsides of our harmful activities. The third is to learn how to reduce temptation. Now, let’s delve into the fourth tool from the Vitakkasanthana Sutta to see how it can help manage social media addiction.
The fourth tool is “stopping the formation of thoughts.” It sounds ideal to have an off-switch for our thinking, or at least a way to dial it down.
So what does the discourse advise about this tool? It suggests that if previous methods haven’t quieted our thoughts and urges, particularly those connected with desire, hate, and delusion, we should focus on stopping these thoughts from forming. By doing this, unskillful thoughts are abandoned, and the mind becomes calm, unified, and fully absorbed in mindfulness.
An illustrative example is provided to give better insight into this technique:
Imagine someone walking quickly. They might think, “Why am I walking so quickly? Why don’t I slow down?” So they slow down and then think, “Why am I walking slowly? Why don’t I stand still?” So they stand still and then think, “Why am I standing still? Why don’t I sit down?” So they sit down, and then, “Why am I sitting? Why don’t I lie down?” So they lie down, progressively adopting more restful postures.
The key point is realizing that something is propelling us forward at high speed. By becoming aware of these driving forces, we can let go and slow down. Similarly, when our mind produces thoughts and urges that drive us to engage in compulsive online activity, there is an underlying mechanism at work. Understanding these causes allows us to let the mind rest.
For example, if we are mindlessly surfing the web, it might be driven by anxiety—a sensation like an unpleasant prickly ball in our gut. One part of the brain generates this feeling as a perceived threat to our well-being, and other parts respond by creating impulses to keep moving from one web page to another. These impulses are often accompanied by thoughts like, “Just one more article. Maybe two.” Both the urge to surf and the inner speech are the thoughts we need to slow down.
Feelings are central to Buddhist practice because they play a pivotal role in our experience. Unpleasant feelings often drive our behavior. Becoming mindful of these feelings helps us realize we don’t have to react to them. We can observe them, recognize that they represent a part of us that is suffering, and offer compassion to that part.
This mindful self-compassion creates a gap where we can choose a kinder, wiser response. With internet addiction, there’s always an unpleasant feeling at the root, whether it’s boredom, hollowness, dread, or anxiety. We can train ourselves to face our discomfort with kindness and compassion, shifting from reactive to mindful, wise responses.
Often, when I find myself obsessed with reading articles online, I use this mindful approach. Recognizing that I’m suffering, I turn my attention to my feelings, usually sensing unpleasantness in my gut. When unmindful, I see these feelings as a signal that something is wrong and feel the need to fix it by going online. But these reactions are instinctual rather than thought out.
When mindful, I see the unpleasant feeling as just a sensation created by a part of my brain. I don’t need to act on it. I can observe it and offer compassionate recognition to the part of me that is suffering. By touching my belly where the feeling is most prominent and saying, “May you be well. May you be happy. May you be at peace,” I can act with compassion.
Overcoming social media or internet addiction involves addressing the desire to escape emotional pain. We can’t free ourselves from these urges without turning towards our pain with mindfulness and compassion. By mindfully attending to the painful feelings driving our cravings, we can sever the emotional connection, making it easier to put down our devices and engage in more wholesome activities.
This fourth tool involves focusing on stopping the formation of harmful urges, understanding the feelings behind our thoughts and urges, and responding in a more mindful and wholesome way. This helps us break free from the compulsion to engage with social media.