In this series of posts, I delve into teachings from early Buddhist scriptures to explore how we can free ourselves from addiction to social media. These teachings are found in the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, an ancient text that outlines five strategies for overcoming our pressing urges.
This week, we’re focusing on the second tool, which involves examining the downsides of having an uncontrolled mind. The discourse emphasizes recognizing the harmful nature of certain thoughts and how they lead to suffering. By doing this, we can eliminate these negative thoughts. To illustrate, the discourse uses a vivid image: imagine a young, attractive person adorned with a rotting corpse of a snake, dog, or human around their neck—they would be horrified and repelled.
Applying this to social media, it’s essential to recognize the disadvantages of our addiction to platforms like Facebook and Twitter. These technologies are designed to be addictive, hooking into our brain’s reward circuits to keep us returning for more stimulation. Features such as endless streams, autoplaying videos, and real-time indications of replies are engineered to capture our attention continually.
Research highlights the negative effects of heavy social media use. A 2019 study by Michigan State University and Monash University found that individuals heavily using Facebook exhibited impaired decision-making abilities akin to those addicted to cocaine or heroin. Moreover, the average person now spends four hours a day on their phone, leading to increased anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Social media also fosters a false sense of inadequacy as we compare ourselves to others’ seemingly perfect lives. Additionally, it has become a tool for social engineering and propaganda, influencing political decisions without our conscious awareness.
Personally, the biggest drawback for me was the time wasted on social media, which I could have used for more productive activities like walking, meditating, or working. Social media not only costs us time but also impacts our sleep, productivity, and relationships by causing frequent interruptions and conflicts, and reducing our focus.
The Buddha’s teachings include the concept of vipallasa or cognitive distortion, where we mistakenly believe that things causing unhappiness can bring us joy. This is similar to FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), where we fear losing connections or missing important updates by not using social media. However, the opposite is true. Reducing social media use can increase our contentment, productivity, and ability to focus, as well as allow us to rediscover simple joys like reading, music, and nature.
The image from the Buddha’s discourse encourages us to see social media addiction as something repulsive, comparable to a rotting corpse, while also recognizing the good and wholesome aspects of our lives. By creating a sense of disgust towards addictive behavior and focusing on more fulfilling activities, we can better manage our online habits.
Here are a few suggestions to help reduce social media addiction:
– Log off and create a routine to minimize social media use.
– Move social media icons to less accessible screens on your device.
– Incorporate healthier alternatives like meditation apps or wholesome reading.
– Schedule social-media-free days and reflect on the impact.
These steps can help you replace addictive patterns with meaningful and enjoyable activities, leading to greater peace and happiness.