In a series of six posts, I’m explaining how we can break free from our addiction to social media using teachings from early Buddhist scriptures. These teachings are detailed in the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, which outlines five strategies to overcome strong urges. I’m calling it “the Social Media Sutra.”
In this context, “thinking” refers not just to inner dialogue but also the emotional urges tied to it. Compulsive use of social media or internet surfing falls under this kind of thinking.
The first tool is focusing on something positive in our experience. The second is understanding the downsides of our harmful activities. The third is learning to reduce temptation. Now, let’s delve into the fourth tool from the Vitakkasanthana Sutta and see how it can help us manage social media addiction.
This fourth tool is about “stopping the formation of thoughts.” While it sounds ideal, it’s a bit challenging to apply. The discourse advises that if other methods don’t quiet our unskillful thoughts and urges, and if those thoughts keep arising, we should focus on stopping their formation. By doing this, negative thoughts disappear, and the mind calms down, becoming unified and absorbed in mindfulness.
The Buddha uses an analogy to explain this: Imagine someone walking quickly who decides to slow down, then stop, then sit, and finally lie down. They progressively adopt more subtle postures. The key is to recognize what propels us forward and, by becoming aware, we can let go and slow down.
Similarly, when our mind prompts us to engage in compulsive online activity, there’s a mechanism driving this. By examining the causes of our actions, we can choose to let our mind settle.
For instance, if we’re surfing the web mindlessly, an underlying anxiety might be driving us. This anxiety can feel like unpleasant sensations in the gut. One part of the brain creates this feeling to alert us to potential threats like boredom. Other parts of the brain react to this discomfort by urging us to keep surfing the internet. These urges might be accompanied by thoughts like, “Just one more article.” Both the urge to browse and the thoughts accompanying it are what we need to slow down.
Feelings play a crucial role in Buddhist practice. The Buddha taught that all experiences converge on feelings because of their central role. The unpleasant feelings drive our behavior. By being mindful of these feelings, we realize we don’t have to react to them. Instead, we can observe them, recognize the suffering part of us, and show compassion for it.
This mindful self-compassion creates a pause in our reactivity, allowing us to act more wisely. With internet addiction, there’s always an unpleasant feeling driving us — boredom, hollowness, dread, or anxiety. Whatever it is, we can train ourselves to face our discomfort with kindness and compassion. This shift helps us respond mindfully rather than reactively.
When I catch myself fixated on my computer, reading article after article, I use this approach. I recognize my suffering and turn my attention to my feelings. Usually, there’s a discomfort in my gut.
When I’m not mindful, I see these feelings as signals to fix something or escape a threat. So, I go online for relief. These reactions are instinctual, not thought out.
When I am mindful, I view the unpleasant feeling as just a sensation in the body, created by a part of the brain that perceives a threat. I don’t have to act on it; I can simply observe it, offer kindness and compassion to the suffering part of me. Touching the area of discomfort, I might say: “May you be well. May you be happy. May you be at peace.”
Acting on social media or internet addiction is about escaping emotional pain. To break free, we must turn our attention to our pain and embrace it with mindfulness and compassion. When we are mindful of the feelings behind our cravings, it’s like cutting an invisible cord that connects us to our addiction.
When I become mindful of my painful feelings, my emotional connection to the internet weakens. I can then put down my phone or close my laptop and engage in something healthier than mindlessly scrolling through social media.
This is the fourth tool: stopping the formation of unskillful urges. We identify the feelings behind our thoughts and find healthier ways to respond, freeing ourselves from compulsive social media behavior.