Back in late 2019, I recorded a series of talks for “Tricycle” magazine, delving into how Buddhist tools can help us overcome social media and internet addiction. Although the talks were published online in January of the following year, I decided to turn my notes into a series of articles. There are six articles in total—this introduction, plus one article for each of the five tools I discussed.
I’ve added more content to the written pieces than I had in the talks, as I realized there were more insights I could include. You can explore each part through these links: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.
I confess, I’ve struggled with social media addiction myself. Because of my work, I’m frequently online, which has often led me down the rabbit hole of social media. Like most people, I carry a “phone”—a device that’s less about making calls and more about being a portal to endless distractions.
Spending so much time online, I found it challenging to stay away from the internet. My work suffered, and I would often stay up late reading captivating articles, mostly about science and psychology. Even though the content was enriching, I couldn’t stop, which affected my sleep. I also noticed that my ability to immerse myself in books—a lifelong passion—diminished, making life feel less fulfilling.
There were added complications, like getting involved in online arguments, which would make me anxious and even cause my heart to race when logging in to my social media accounts. I also started craving attention, checking my posts obsessively to see if they were liked or shared. All of these experiences are forms of suffering.
Not wanting to suffer, I naturally wondered how my Buddhist practice could help me overcome this addiction to online activities. I’m sharing some tools that have been useful to me in case you face similar issues.
By the time I wrote these articles, I had mostly overcome my addictions, though I still occasionally spent too much time on Twitter, affecting my mental health. I’m glad to say that practicing the techniques I discuss here helped me disengage from Twitter too.
So, what do I mean by social media addiction? It’s not just about enjoying social media; it’s about compulsive use despite harmful consequences. “Compulsive” means feeling out of control and having difficulty stopping even when you want to. This often leads to shame and dishonesty about how much we’re truly hooked.
I use the term “social media” broadly, not just for sites like Facebook or Twitter but also for online games and compulsive news checking. While the Buddha never talked about the internet or social media, he offered wisdom on overcoming compelling patterns of thought and behavior. One particular discourse, the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, or “Discourse on Quieting Thinking,” provides a rich set of tools that are just as useful today.
In this context, “thinking” includes not just internal dialogue but also urges that drive actions, like picking up your phone to check social media. These urges, in Buddhist terms, are considered thoughts. This discourse essentially teaches how to let go of unhelpful urges and habits.
While the Vitakkasanthana Sutta is often associated with meditation, its principles can be applied to any area of life, including social media use. You might even call it the Social Media Sutra. The discourse outlines five tools to manage these urges, suggesting starting with the first one and moving to the next if it doesn’t work.
These five tools offer practical ways to overcome addictive behaviors and the associated emotions like anger and anxiety. I’ll cover each tool, what the Buddha said about them, and how to apply them in practical terms.
That’s it for today. I hope you’ll find this series of posts helpful.
Here’s a prompt for you to reflect on: Notice any addictive behaviors around your social media use. What kind of suffering does it cause? How does your compulsion show up? Can you experiment with giving up social media, even just for a day or two? If not, what’s stopping you? What feelings arise if you take a short break—joy, relief, craving, or anxiety?
Think of it as a limited-time window where you gradually reduce your social media usage. I believe this simple yet challenging practice could significantly cut down your social media time.
Bodhipaksa has published a series of posts on mindful and self-compassionate tools for overcoming social media addiction. These practices show how ancient teachings can be applied to modern challenges, proving that the Dhamma is as relevant today as it was two millennia ago. Thank you, Bodhipaksa.