Back in late 2019, I recorded some talks for Tricycle magazine discussing how Buddhist techniques can help us beat social media and internet addiction. These talks eventually went online in January of the following year. Meanwhile, I decided to convert my notes into a series of six articles—an introduction and five separate articles, each covering one tool.
In these articles, I’ve expanded on the insights from my talks. There’s always more you realize you could’ve said once you’ve given a talk! Here are the links to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.
I openly admit that I was addicted to social media. My teaching requires me to be online a lot, so I’ve had to wrestle with the lure of social media, just like many others. Like most of you, I carry a device we call a “phone,” though I rarely use it for calls. It’s more like a glass portal to endless distractions.
Spending a lot of time online and carrying a device that could connect me to the internet whenever I wanted meant I often found myself wasting hours online. My work would suffer, and sometimes I’d stay up too late reading interesting articles about science and psychology. Although I enjoyed what I read, I couldn’t stop and ended up sleep-deprived. My lifelong love for books faded because I couldn’t focus on reading anymore, making my life seem more superficial.
I also faced “bonus” problems, like getting involved in online disputes that made me angry and anxious. I’d log in with my heart racing, worried about whether my posts had been liked or shared. These experiences are forms of suffering.
Not liking to suffer, I asked myself, “How can my Buddhist practice help me break free from this online addiction?” I’m sharing some tools that helped me, hoping they might assist you too.
When I wrote these six articles, I had mostly overcome my addictions, although I occasionally struggled with spending too much time on Twitter, which affected my mental state. But as I continued practicing the techniques I’ll describe, I managed to pull away from Twitter too.
So, what exactly do I mean by social media addiction? I’m not just talking about enjoying social media; I mean compulsively using it despite its harmful effects on ourselves and others. This compulsion feels uncontrollable and quitting can seem daunting. Often, compulsion leads to shame, and we become dishonest about our addiction’s extent.
I use “social media” broadly, including not just platforms like Facebook or Twitter but also online games and constant news-checking.
While the Buddha never mentioned the internet or social media, he did talk about overcoming compulsive thoughts and behaviors. One particular discourse, the Vitakkasanthana Sutta or “Discourse on Quieting Thinking,” provides useful tools for this. “Vitakka” means “thinking” and “santhana” means “resting place,” so it’s about stopping persistent thoughts.
“Thinking” here includes urges tied to our thoughts. Sometimes you’ll act on these urges without any verbal thought—you just find yourself picking up your phone and opening a social media app. In Buddhist terms, this urge is also a “thought.”
This discourse is fundamentally about letting go of unhelpful urges and habits. Though often seen as advice for quieting the mind during meditation, its principles can apply to any life context, including social media usage. Think of the Vitakkasanthana Sutta as the Social Media Sutra.
The discourse outlines five tools, starting with the first one and moving to the next if the previous one doesn’t work.
For each tool, there’s an illustration. Some are engaging and helpful, while others might be less immediately useful.
These five approaches offer robust tools for overcoming addiction and associated emotions like anger and anxiety. I’ll explain each tool the Buddha described, including his illustrations, and how to use them practically.
That wraps up today’s introduction. I hope you find this series helpful.
For an in-depth look at the first tool, Pivoting Toward the Skillful, click here.
Notice any addictive patterns in your social media usage. What kind of suffering do they lead to? How does your compulsion manifest? Can you experiment with stepping away from social media for a day or two? If not, observe what’s stopping you. If you manage to take a break, how do you feel? Do you experience relief, joy, craving, or anxiety?
Using a limited time window for social media and gradually reducing usage can be effective. This simple yet challenging strategy, requiring willpower, can definitely help cut down your social media consumption.