In late 2019, I recorded a series of talks for “Tricycle” magazine discussing how Buddhist tools can help overcome social media and internet addiction. Although the talks went online in January the following year, I decided to turn my notes into a series of articles. There are six in total – this introduction and one article for each tool.
I’ve expanded on what I discussed in the talks because, naturally, you always think of more things you could have said afterwards. Here are the links to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.
I admit to having battled social media addiction. Due to my teaching, I spend a ton of time online, which has led to issues with social media. Like most folks, I carry a device everywhere, which we call a “phone” but rarely use for calls. Instead, it’s a glass portal to endless distractions.
Spending lots of time online and having a device handy meant I often spent way too much time online. This affected my work and led to late nights reading fascinating material about science and psychology. The content was good, but my inability to stop deprived me of sleep. I found it hard to focus on books, my lifelong love, which made life feel shallower.
Sometimes there were extra problems. I’d get into online disputes, causing anger and anxiety. I’d crave attention, logging in anxiously to see if my posts were liked or shared. All these issues are forms of suffering.
Not liking suffering, I naturally asked, “How can my Buddhist practice help me with my online addiction?” I’ll share the tools I found useful, hoping they help you too.
When I wrote these articles, I had mostly conquered my addictions, although Twitter was still a challenge. Thankfully, as I practiced these techniques, I managed to disengage from Twitter as well.
What do I mean by social media addiction? I don’t just mean enjoying social media. I mean compulsive use despite harmful consequences, feeling out of control, and experiencing unpleasant feelings at the thought of quitting. This often leads to shame and dishonesty about our addiction.
I’ll use “social media” broadly, covering not just Facebook or Twitter but also online games and obsessive news-checking.
The Buddha didn’t speak about the internet or social media, but he provided insights on overcoming compulsive thoughts and behaviors. One discourse, the Vitakkasanthana Sutta—or “Discourse on Quieting Thinking”—is particularly relevant.
Vitakka means “thinking,” and santhana means “end” or “cessation.” “Thinking” here includes urges that come with those thoughts, sometimes leading to actions without verbal thought. Picking up a phone to check social media can be an unspoken urge, which we could see as a “thought” in Buddhist terms.
This discourse focuses on letting go of unhelpful urges, or habits. Most think it pertains to meditation, but it applies to all aspects of life, including social media. Think of the Vitakkasanthana Sutta as the Social Media Sutra.
The discourse offers five tools, suggesting starting with the first and moving to the next if it doesn’t work. These tools form a comprehensive collection for overcoming addictive behaviors and related emotions like anger and anxiety. I’ll explain each tool, referencing what the Buddha said and making them practical.
That’s it for today. I hope you enjoy this series of articles.
Notice any addictive behaviors with social media use and the suffering they cause. Observe how your compulsion manifests. Can you experiment with giving up social media for a day or two? If not, what’s stopping you? What happens if you do give it up? Do you feel joy, relief, craving, or anxiety?
Consider treating it as a limited window of time and gradually reduce your social media usage. Applying this method may require willpower but can definitely reduce your social media time.
Bodhipaksa has published a series on mindful and self-compassionate tools for overcoming social media addiction. This series beautifully applies ancient texts to modern problems, showing how the Dhamma remains relevant today.
Thank you, Bodhipaksa.