In a series of six posts, I’ll explain how we can break free from social media addiction using teachings from early Buddhist scriptures, specifically the Vitakkasanthana Sutta. This Sutta outlines five strategies to overcome compelling thoughts and urges.
The Buddha’s advice is to work through these tools in order. If shifting our mind to positive thoughts doesn’t work, we then consider the drawbacks of addiction. If that fails, the next tool is “ignore and forget” the obsession. That’s what we’ll focus on today.
The discourse is brief here: If negative, unskillful thoughts linked to desire, hate, and delusion keep arising, we should ignore and forget them. This may seem easier said than done, but it’s actually practical and useful advice, essentially about reducing temptation.
We’ll address this in two areas: external activities and internal activities. First, let’s see how we can ignore social media by changing our habits. For instance, if you want to lose weight and struggle with eating potato chips, it’s helpful to keep them out of sight. Similarly, moving social media apps from your phone’s main screen to a hidden one can make access less convenient.
Turning off notification badges and audible alerts also helps. It prevents social media from interrupting you whenever it wants attention. Instead, you’ll discover updates when you choose to, giving you more control and allowing you to focus better. Sometimes, keeping your phone out of sight can help, including not having it at your bedside at night. Try charging it elsewhere to avoid reaching for it first thing in the morning. Use an alarm clock instead if you need to know the time at night.
Turning off your phone while charging overnight can also create a barrier between you and the internet. This makes it easier to avoid addiction. Out of sight, out of mind. When your phone is in another room, you might start your day with healthier habits like meditating or reading instead of checking social media.
Reading books, especially physical ones, can be more beneficial than going online. They train your mind to concentrate and nourish it in ways that online content often doesn’t. Creating additional internet-free times, like during meals with family or friends, is also helpful. Some people make a game of it by piling phones on the table at a restaurant; if someone uses their phone, they pay the bill.
Meditation retreats are great opportunities to disconnect and be present with your experiences. Some retreats require handing in your phone, but you can also choose to leave it off or in your car for the duration.
Externally, we can use various strategies to ignore our phones. Internally, a deeper practice involves changing how we pay attention. There are two ways to use our eyes: focusing narrowly like a flashlight or broadly like a lamp. The latter can calm the body and mind, making it easier to ignore compulsive thoughts.
In meditation, softening the eyes helps broaden internal focus. Instead of being narrowly focused and easily distracted by thoughts, a relaxed gaze allows us to be aware of multiple sensations. This makes thoughts less dominant, and they can pass without capturing our attention.
This method ties into the idea of “urge surfing.” Urges, like waves, rise and fall. Observing urges as they build and then subside can reduce their power over us. Practicing an open gaze helps in managing these urges without acting on them.
Ignoring and forgetting unskillful thoughts might seem simplistic but it’s profound. Today, we learned that by:
1. Reducing chances of social media distractions through practical changes in phone usage and placement.
2. Using a relaxed visual focus to create mental space where thoughts can arise and pass without engaging us.
These strategies help us break free from addictive thought patterns and behaviors, enabling a more mindful and controlled interaction with technology.