In a series of posts, I’m explaining how we can free ourselves from our addiction to social media using teachings from the early Buddhist scriptures. These strategies are found in the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, which outlines five ways to overcome compelling urges.
The Vitakkasanthana Sutta, meaning “The Discourse on Quieting Thinking,” offers insights into not just our inner self-talk but also the emotional urges that accompany it. In this context, the compulsion to use social media or surf the internet is a form of thinking.
The first tool in the Sutta is to turn our attention to something beneficial. The second is to consider the drawbacks of our unskillful activities, and the third is to learn how to reduce temptation.
Now, let’s focus on the fourth tool, which is known as “stopping the formation of thoughts.” This means finding a way to quiet our mind when other methods haven’t worked.
The Sutta advises that if unskillful thoughts and urges, connected with desire and delusion, persist, one should focus on stopping the formation of those thoughts. By doing so, the mind becomes still, unified, and immersed in mindful absorption.
To illustrate this, the Sutta offers an analogy of a person moving through different postures, progressively adopting more subtle and less active ones: walking quickly, slowing down, standing still, sitting down, and finally lying down. This reflection helps us recognize the mechanisms driving us and how to let go and slow down.
When we find ourselves mindlessly surfing the internet, we often have an underlying sense of anxiety driving us. This unpleasant sensation might be in the gut, created by a part of our brain that perceives boredom or missing out as a threat. This discomfort generates the impulses driving us from one web page to another, often accompanied by internal dialogue like “Just one more article” or “Maybe two more posts.”
Feelings are central in Buddhist practice because they drive our behavior. Becoming aware of these feelings allows us to observe them without reacting. We can recognize that these feelings signal a part of us that is suffering and extend compassion toward it. This mindful self-compassion creates a pause, allowing us to respond more wisely.
Different feelings drive our internet addiction—boredom, hollowness, dread, or anxiety. Training ourselves to turn toward and accept our discomfort, responding with kindness and compassion, helps us pivot from reactivity to a more mindful, wise response.
When I find myself overly focused on reading articles online, I practice mindfulness by turning my attention to the unpleasant feelings in my gut. I recognize these feelings as signals, rather than threats needing immediate action. I observe them and offer myself compassion, perhaps by gently touching my belly and saying, “May you be well. May you be happy. May you be at peace.”
Our social media or internet addiction is driven by the desire to escape emotional pain. Freedom from this compulsion comes from mindfully embracing our pain with compassion.
When we crave something, it’s like an emotional connection to it. By mindfully attending to our painful feelings, we weaken that connection. When I do this, my urge to engage with the internet diminishes, allowing me to focus on more wholesome activities.
In summary, the fourth tool involves stopping the formation of unskillful urges by understanding and responding compassionately to the feelings driving them. This helps liberate us from the compulsion to engage with social media.
To continue learning, read Part 5 of The Social Media Sutra: Staging a Coup Against Social Media Addiction.