In this series of posts, I explain how teachings from early Buddhist scriptures can help us break free from our addiction to social media. The Vitakkasanthana Sutta, an ancient text, outlines five strategies to combat our compelling urges.
This week, we’ll dive into the second strategy, which is about understanding the drawbacks of having a mind that’s out of control. One vivid image from the discourse describes someone seeing thoughts as unskillful and harmful, leading to suffering. It compares such thoughts to a young person with a snake or human corpse hung around their neck, evoking horror and disgust.
Applying this to social media, it’s clear we need to recognize its disadvantages and how it hijacks our attention. Social media platforms are designed to be addictive, tapping into our brain’s reward circuits to keep us hooked. They use endless streams, autoplay features, and notifications to keep us engaged.
Research shows significant negative effects of heavy social media use. A 2019 study found that heavy Facebook users had impaired decision-making abilities comparable to drug addicts. Most of us are hooked, with an average of four hours a day spent on phones. Social media causes anxiety, depression, and loneliness. It tricks us into comparing ourselves to others’ idealized lives, reducing our happiness and life satisfaction.
Moreover, social media is used for propaganda, manipulating our political views. For example, a Russian agency created a mindfulness page to influence US elections. Personally, I wasted a lot of time on social media, time that could have been spent walking, meditating, or working.
The negative aspects of social media are extensive: staying up late, reduced productivity, ignoring loved ones, online conflicts, and decreased attention spans. Addiction promises happiness but rarely delivers, a concept the Buddha termed “vipallasa” or cognitive distortion. We mistakenly believe that engaging in social media will make us happy and fear missing out if we don’t.
When I considered deleting my Facebook account, I worried about losing contact with relatives and missing important news. However, I found that less social media use led to greater contentment, productivity, meditation, and focus. It was liberating and joyful, the opposite of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), which I now call JOMO (Joy of Missing Out).
Reflecting on the drawbacks of social media helps us see our addiction more clearly. It encourages skepticism about our desire to stay connected online. We realize that these platforms don’t bring true happiness and divert us from meaningful activities.
The Buddha’s image of a person adorned with a corpse around their neck is powerful. It reminds us to see our addictions as a gross element in our lives, overshadowing the good and wholesome aspects. Recognizing the positive actions we take is essential to make the harmful ones stand out.
Focusing only on the drawbacks of online addiction can make us feel bad and drive us back to it for escape. So, we must also engage in wholesome activities, such as being present with ourselves and others, meditating, focusing on meaningful work, and enjoying simple pleasures.
As I’ve moved away from social media, I’ve rekindled my love for books, classical music, and walks. These simple, present moments bring true joy and peace.
I suggest you do two things:
1. Reflect on the disadvantages of social media.
2. Identify activities that bring you happiness and peace.
When you get caught up in online habits, remember these reflections. Develop a sense of discomfort with your addictive behavior but balance it by appreciating wholesome, nourishing activities that bring true happiness.
We’ve learned that reflecting on our addictive behaviors helps us see them clearly and recognize their negative impact. It helps us aspire to live healthier, more balanced lives. By doing this, we undermine our addictions and gain more control over our minds.
Consider strategies like logging off habitually, moving social media icons to secondary screens, using non-social media apps, taking scheduled breaks from social media, and reviewing the effects consciously. These steps can help dislodge the grip of addiction and reclaim your mental tranquility.
By taking these reflections and actions to heart, we can find a path to greater happiness and freedom from the negative impacts of social media.