In a series of six posts, I explain, using teachings from early Buddhist scriptures, how we can free ourselves from our addiction to social media. These teachings are found in the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, which outlines five strategies for overcoming compelling thoughts and urges.
“Vitakkasanthana Sutta” literally means “the Discourse on Quieting Thinking,” but I’m calling it “the Social Media Sutra” because it’s more relatable and reminds us that these teachings can be directly applied to our lives.
Now, let’s talk about the fifth and final tool. This one might surprise you. The last tool that the Buddha offers is sheer willpower. You’re advised to clench your teeth and press your tongue against the roof of your mouth, using your mind to overpower those undesirable thoughts, thus ending them.
Admittedly, this sounds harsh and even a bit violent, like a strong man overpowering a weaker one. While it might seem odd for the Buddha to teach such a forceful method, sometimes we need to be strict with ourselves. However, using willpower should be a last resort, only when other methods have failed.
I’ve found this useful occasionally. Sometimes, late at night, I’m surfing the internet, reading interesting articles, but it’s keeping me from getting the sleep I need. Suddenly, I feel a kind of disgust with myself, close my laptop abruptly, and the compulsion ends. This isn’t exactly willpower in action—it just happens.
Fortunately, there are better, more subtle ways to overcome urges. You can use willpower when you’re not actively caught up in craving. Making decisions at calmer times can limit the control of our compulsive tendencies. For example, delete your social media apps from your phone. While you could still access these sites through your browser, it becomes much harder.
You can go further by using your phone’s parental settings to block social media sites entirely or by adding browser plugins that limit the time you spend on them. Even more drastic is deleting your social media accounts altogether, which takes considerable willpower.
I deleted my Instagram account because I didn’t like how I felt when I didn’t get enough likes or comments. I craved validation and wasn’t getting it, so I removed the source of discontent. I also deleted my Facebook account because it wasn’t enjoyable following some relatives, and even in Buddhist groups, conversations turned into arguments. Plus, I had concerns about privacy and political propaganda on Facebook.
Research shows quitting social media makes us happier, but addiction and self-deception hold us back. Social media tricks us into thinking they are essential to our happiness, but that’s not true. We got by fine before they existed.
Having deleted my Facebook and Instagram accounts, Twitter was the only social media service left. Although I spent less time on Twitter, it still affected my well-being by exposing me to outrage and consuming a lot of time. However, I found one last willpower trick that helped me quit Twitter, improving my happiness and freeing up time.
This trick involves creating a barrier that makes it hard to access your account without deleting it. This way, temptation is reduced, but your account remains if you need it. For instance, change your password to something you won’t remember and log out. Although there’s a “forgot password” link to get back in, this extra step can be enough to keep you out.
Currently, I have no personal social media accounts. By using these methods, I’ve managed to free myself from the grip of social media addiction.
To summarize, we’ve explored the five tools from the Vitakkasanthana Sutta to help free our minds from obsessive thinking and compulsive urges. Thank you for joining me in this series. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share and explore these teachings together. May we all continue to make progress in overcoming obstacles to living with mindfulness, compassion, and joy.