In a series comprising six posts, I’m using early Buddhist scriptures to explain how we can break free from our addiction to social media. These teachings are contained in the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, which proposes five strategies for overcoming strong urges. I’ve named it “the Social Media Sutra.”
Here, “thinking” refers not just to our self-talk but also to the emotional urges that come with it. So, the urge to use social media compulsively is a type of thinking in this context. The first strategy involves focusing on something positive in our experience. The second looks at the negative aspects of our unskillful activities. The third is about reducing temptation.
Now, let’s delve into the fourth tool from the Vitakkasanthana Sutta and see how it can help us manage our social media addiction. This fourth tool is known as “stopping the formation of thoughts.” It sounds ideal if achievable—we all wish we could just switch off our thinking sometimes, or at least dial it down.
So, what does the discourse say about this tool? It states that if other methods haven’t quieted our unskillful thoughts and urges, and if thoughts related to desire, hate, and delusion keep arising, the practitioner should focus on stopping the formation of thoughts. By doing so, these harmful thoughts are abandoned, and the mind becomes internally stilled, settles, unifies, and immerses in mindful absorption.
An illustrative image might help us understand better:
Imagine someone walking quickly who then decides to slow down, then to stand still, then to sit, and finally to lie down. This progression shows how one can consciously reject more active postures for more restful ones.
The key takeaway is that when we’re hurriedly moving, something is driving us. By becoming aware of what’s pushing us, we can let go and slow down. Similarly, when compulsive online activity urges arise, understanding the underlying mechanisms can help us let the mind rest.
If we’re mindlessly surfing the web, we might notice that a sense of anxiety is driving us. This anxiety might manifest as an uncomfortable sensation in the gut. One part of our brain generates this sensation, thinking that boredom or missing out is a threat to our well-being. Other parts of the brain react to this discomfort by prompting us to move from one online activity to another. These urges, along with thoughts like “Just one more article,” are the “thought” we aim to slow down.
In Buddhist practice, feelings are vital. The Buddha emphasized that “everything converges on feeling” due to the crucial role feelings play in our experience. In our example, the unpleasant feeling is driving our behavior. When we become mindful of this feeling, we realize we don’t have to react impulsively. Instead, we can observe it and show compassion for the part of us that’s suffering.
This mindful self-compassion creates a pause, allowing us to act more kindly and wisely. In the context of internet addiction, there’s always an unpleasant feeling pushing us. It might be boredom, hollowness, dread, or anxiety. By training ourselves to turn toward and accept this discomfort, we can respond with kindness and compassion, shifting from reactivity to a more mindful and wise approach.
Often, when I find myself fixated on my computer, reading endless articles, I use this approach. I recognize that I’m suffering and mindfully turn my attention to my present feelings. Usually, there’s an unpleasant sensation in the gut. When I’m not mindful, I interpret these feelings as signals that something is wrong and seek to escape them by going online. These reactions are instinctual, not planned.
When mindful, I see the unpleasant feeling as merely a bodily sensation created by part of the brain that thinks my well-being is threatened. I don’t need to act on it; I can observe it and offer compassion. Touching my belly where the unpleasant feeling is, I might say, “May you be well. May you be happy. May you be at peace.”
Our desire to escape emotional pain drives social media or internet addiction. We cannot free ourselves from this urge until we learn to face our pain with mindfulness and compassion. When we crave something, it’s like there’s an emotional cord connecting us to it. By mindfully addressing our painful feelings, it’s as if this cord is cut.
When I become mindful of my painful feelings, my emotional connection to the internet and social media weakens, allowing me to set aside my phone or laptop and engage in more wholesome activities.
So, that’s the fourth tool: stopping the formation of unskillful urges. By understanding the feelings driving our thoughts and urges, we can respond more wholesomely and free ourselves from compulsive social media engagement.