In late 2019, I recorded a series of talks for “Tricycle” magazine, which explored how Buddhist tools can help us overcome social media and internet addiction. Although the talks were published online in January 2020, I decided to turn my notes into a series of articles. There are six articles in total, including this introduction and one article for each of the five tools I’ll discuss.
I’ve expanded on the content from those talks. Typically, after giving a talk, you realize things you could have added. Here, I’m sharing a more detailed version.
I admit, I used to be heavily addicted to social media. My teaching requires me to spend a lot of time online, which made it easy to get sucked into social media. Like most people, I carry a device with me—what we call a “phone,” although I rarely use it to make calls. It’s really a glass portal to endless distractions.
Spending too much time online had its downsides. My work often suffered and I would stay up late reading intriguing articles about science and psychology, depriving myself of sleep. This habit also affected my ability to focus on books, something I’ve always loved. Without that deep immersion, life felt less meaningful.
Occasionally, I would find myself entangled in online disputes, which triggered anger and anxiety. I’d log in, my heart pounding, worried about reactions to my posts. This craving for attention and validation was a source of suffering.
Naturally, I wondered how my Buddhist practice could help me manage my online addictions. The tools I’ve found helpful might aid you as well if you experience similar issues.
By the time I wrote these articles, I had mostly overcome my social media addictions, though I still struggled with Twitter occasionally. However, as I continued to apply the techniques I’ll share, I managed to disengage from it too.
When I talk about social media addiction, I don’t mean simply enjoying social media. I mean the compulsive use of it despite harmful consequences. Compulsion makes us feel out of control, and we experience extreme discomfort at the thought of quitting. This often leads to shame and dishonesty about our usage.
For the purpose of these articles, “social media” includes not just sites like Facebook and Twitter, but also online games and compulsively checking the news. While the Buddha didn’t talk about the internet, he had a lot to say about overcoming compulsive thoughts and behaviors. I found one particular discourse, the Vitakkasanthana Sutta or “Discourse on Quieting Thinking,” to be incredibly relevant.
In this context, “thinking” an’t just inner dialogue; it includes urges that drive our behavior. Often, we act on these urges without any conscious thought, such as mindlessly picking up our phone to check social media.
This discourse is fundamentally about letting go of harmful urges or habits. Most people think the Vitakkasanthana is about meditation, but its principles can be applied to daily life, including our social media use. You could even think of it as the “Social Media Sutra.”
The discourse offers five tools. It suggests starting with the first, and if that doesn’t work, trying the next one, and so on. Each tool is illustrated with examples—some more helpful than others.
These five approaches give us a robust toolkit for dealing with addictive behaviors and the related emotions like anger and anxiety. I’ll discuss each tool in detail, sharing what the Buddha said and how to apply these tools practically.
That wraps up today’s introduction. I hope you enjoy this series of posts. You can find more about the first tool, Pivoting Toward the Skillful, in the next article.
Reflect on your social media use. What kind of suffering does it cause? How does your compulsion show itself? Can you experiment with giving up social media for a day or two? If you can’t, notice what’s holding you back. If you do manage to take a break, observe your feelings—do you experience joy, relief, craving, or anxiety?
Consider this as a limited-time experiment to gradually reduce your social media use. Applying this simple yet challenging practice can significantly cut down on your social media consumption.