Back in late 2019, I recorded a series of talks for Tricycle magazine about using Buddhist practices to tackle social media and internet addiction. Although the talks went live in January 2020, I decided to turn my notes into a set of articles. There are six pieces in total: this introduction and one article for each of the five tools I discussed.
I’ve expanded on my original talks a bit because you always think of extra things you could have mentioned. Here are the links to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.
I’ll admit it: I’ve been addicted to social media. Due to my teaching style, I spend a lot of time online, which makes it easy to get caught up in social media. Like most people, I have a device with me all the time—a “phone” that I rarely use for calls but mostly as a portal to endless distractions.
Because I spent a lot of time online, I often found myself glued to my screen, which hurt my productivity and sometimes kept me up too late reading fascinating articles about science and psychology. Though the content was good, it deprived me of sleep, and I struggled to focus on books I loved. Without deep immersion in reading, life felt shallow.
Occasionally, I got tangled in online disputes, which not only made me angry but also anxious. My heart would race when I logged into my social media accounts. I also started craving attention, constantly checking whether my posts were liked or shared. These behaviors are forms of suffering.
Not liking this kind of suffering, I wondered how my Buddhist practices could help with my online addiction. I aimed to share these tools in case you face similar challenges.
When I wrote these articles, I had mostly overcome my addictions, though I still struggled with spending too much time on Twitter, which negatively affected my mental state. I’m happy to say that with continued practice of these techniques, I managed to break free from Twitter as well.
By “social media addiction,” I mean the compulsive use of social media despite its harmful consequences. Compulsion here means feeling out of control and finding it hard to stop ourselves, leading to discomfort at the thought of quitting and often to shame and dishonesty about the extent of addiction.
I use “social media” broadly, including sites like Facebook and Twitter, online games, or even compulsively checking the news.
The Buddha didn’t mention the internet or social media, but he spoke extensively about overcoming compulsive thought and behavior patterns. One particularly relevant discourse is the Vitakkasanthana Sutta or the “Discourse on Quieting Thinking.” Vitakka means “thinking,” and santhana implies “cessation.”
“Thinking” here includes the urges tied to thoughts. Sometimes, you act on an urge without any verbal thought—like picking up your phone and opening a social media app without inner dialogue. In Buddhist terms, this urge is a “thought.”
This discourse essentially guides letting go of unhelpful urges or habits.
Most people think the Vitakkasanthana Sutta focuses on quieting urges during meditation, but it doesn’t mention meditation explicitly. The principles apply broadly, including to social media use. Think of it as the Social Media Sutra.
The discourse offers five tools. You start with the first, and if it doesn’t work, you move to the next, and so on.
In summary, these five tools provide a robust set of strategies for overcoming addictive behaviors and the related anger and anxiety. I’ll explore each tool in turn, explaining what the Buddha said and how to apply these tools practically.
I hope you find this series of blog posts helpful. Notice any addictive behaviors with social media and consider experimenting with giving it up, even for a short period. Observe what emotions arise—whether it’s joy, relief, craving, or anxiety—and recognize its impact on your life. Gradually reducing social media use can significantly decrease its control over your life with consistent effort and willpower.