In this series of posts, I’m sharing insights from early Buddhist scriptures on how we can break free from our addiction to social media. The teachings are taken from the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, which offers five strategies to combat these sorts of compelling urges. I like to refer to it as “the Social Media Sutra.”
In this context, “thinking” doesn’t just mean inner self-talk; it also encompasses the emotional urges we experience. So, our compulsion to use social media or browse the internet can be seen as a form of thinking.
The first tool involves turning our attention to something positive. The second is recognizing the drawbacks of our unproductive habits. The third is about reducing temptation. Now, let’s dive into the fourth tool mentioned in the Vitakkasanthana Sutta and explore how it can help us with social media addiction.
This fourth tool is all about “stopping the formation of thoughts.” It’s an attractive idea—finding a way to turn off or dial down our thinking. But what does the discourse actually say? It suggests that if none of the other methods have worked to calm our unskillful thoughts and urges, we should focus on stopping the formation of these thoughts. By doing so, these negative thoughts can come to an end, leading to a peaceful and unified mind.
Here’s an analogy to help illustrate this: Imagine someone walking quickly. They might think, “Why am I in such a hurry? I should slow down.” So, they slow down. Then they think, “Why am I still walking? I should stand still.” And so on, gradually adopting more relaxed postures. This analogy highlights the importance of recognizing what drives us to act. By becoming aware of these driving forces, we can let go and slow down.
Similarly, when we notice our minds filled with thoughts and urges to stay lost in compulsive online activity, understanding what’s driving these actions helps us step back. For example, if we’re mindlessly surfing the web, there might be an underlying sense of anxiety. This anxiety could manifest as an unpleasant sensation in the gut, alerting us to a perceived threat like boredom or missing out.
Reacting to this unpleasant sensation, our brain creates impulses that drive us from one webpage to another. This urge to surf, along with the inner dialogue like “Just one more article,” is what we’re aiming to slow down.
Feelings play a crucial role in Buddhist practice. The Buddha taught that “everything converges on feeling” because feelings significantly influence our actions. In the example of internet addiction, it’s the unpleasant feeling that drives our behavior. By becoming mindful of this feeling, we realize we don’t have to react to it. Instead, we can observe it and even offer compassion to that suffering part of ourselves.
This mindful self-compassion creates a pause, allowing us to respond more wisely and kindly. When it comes to internet addiction, there’s always an unpleasant feeling at the core. This could be boredom, hollowness, dread, or anxiety. Whatever it is, we can train ourselves to face this discomfort with kindness and compassion. This helps us move from a reactive state to a more mindful and creative response.
When I find myself stuck in the endless cycle of reading online articles, I use this approach. I recognize my suffering and turn my mindful attention to the feelings I’m experiencing, usually unpleasant sensations in my gut. When I’m not mindful, I see these feelings as signals that something’s wrong and feel the need to fix it by going online. These reactions are instinctual.
However, with mindfulness, I see the unpleasant feeling as just a bodily sensation, created by a part of my brain that thinks my well-being is at risk. I don’t need to act on it. Instead, I can observe it compassionately and offer myself kindness. I might touch my belly and say, “May you be well. May you be happy. May you be at peace.”
Acting out our social media or internet addiction is driven by a desire to escape emotional pain. To overcome this, we need to turn our attention to our pain and embrace it with mindfulness and compassion. When we mindfully focus on the painful feelings behind our cravings, it’s like cutting an invisible cord that links our emotions to these cravings.
So when I practice this mindfulness, my emotional bond with the internet and social media weakens, or breaks. I can then put down my phone or close my laptop and engage in more wholesome activities instead of mindlessly scrolling.
This fourth tool is about stopping the formation of unskillful urges by understanding the feelings behind them. By responding to these feelings in a healthier way, we can free ourselves from the compulsion to engage with social media.