In a series of posts, I explain using early Buddhist scriptures how we can free ourselves from social media addiction. These teachings, found in the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, outline five strategies for overcoming our strong urges.
This week, we’ll look at the second strategy, which involves examining the drawbacks of having an uncontrolled mind. This teaching uses a vivid and visceral image to describe its point.
The discourse says we should consider the negative aspects of certain thoughts: ‘These thoughts are unskillful, blameworthy, and result in suffering.’ By doing so, these negative thoughts are abandoned. It’s like imagining a young person with a snake or dog’s corpse hung around their neck—they’d be horrified and disgusted.
Applying this to social media, we need to look at its disadvantages and our addiction to it. Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are designed to be addictive. They hook into our brain’s reward circuits, making us come back for more. They keep us engaged with endless feeds, autoplay videos, and notifications.
There’s a wealth of evidence showing the negative effects of social media. For example, a 2019 study found that heavy Facebook users have impaired decision-making skills, similar to those addicted to cocaine or heroin. Most of us are hooked in some way, with the average person spending four hours a day on their phone. Social media can make us anxious, depressed, and lonely. They distort our perception, making us feel we’re not doing as well as others because people only share positive moments online.
Moreover, social media is used for propaganda, subtly influencing our political decisions. For example, Facebook revealed that a Russian agency had used a mindfulness page to influence US elections. Personally, the biggest drawback for me was the time wasted on social media. I used to spend hours in the morning browsing, time that could have been spent walking, meditating, or working.
Other disadvantages include losing sleep due to late-night scrolling, reduced productivity from constant interruptions, and neglecting loved ones. These platforms have an opportunity cost—they take us away from meaningful activities.
Addiction often falsely promises happiness. The Buddha’s teachings on vipallasa, or cognitive distortions, highlight our misconceptions: believing temporary things are permanent, thinking unattractive things are attractive, and viewing external things as part of our identity. We wrongly assume that social media, gaming, and news will make us happy. This fear of missing out (FOMO) drives our addiction.
When I considered quitting social media, I worried about losing touch with relatives and missing significant news. But I found that reducing my social media use made me happier and more productive. I spent more time meditating and could focus on books without distraction. This was a blessing!
Cutting down on social media was liberating. Instead of FOMO, I experienced JOMO—the Joy of Missing Out. This second tool from the Vitakkasanthana Sutta helps us see the drawbacks of social media, making us more skeptical of our urges to check it.
We realize that these urges promise happiness and meaning, but in reality, they make us unhappy. This awareness helps us see that social media takes us away from truly meaningful activities.
The Buddha’s image of a rotting corpse around a well-dressed person’s neck powerfully illustrates the unwholesomeness of addiction. It reminds us to recognize and cherish the good and wholesome aspects of our lives.
By reflecting on both the drawbacks of online addiction and the joys of wholesome activities, we strike a balance. This helps us stop seeing our thoughts as false promises and instead focus on activities that bring us genuine happiness and peace.
I suggest doing two things: listing the unskillful habits related to social media and identifying the wholesome activities that make you happy. When you find yourself falling into addictive behaviors online, recall these two lists. Create a sense of disgust for the addictive behavior and an attraction to more nourishing activities.
Reflecting on these drawbacks helps us see our addiction as something gross and out of place in our lives. It gives us a clearer sense of who we are and who we want to be, helping us become freer, happier, and more in control of our minds.
To reduce social media use, consider these tips: log off habitually, move social media icons to secondary screens, add wholesome alternatives like reading or meditation apps, and schedule social media-free days. These strategies can help break the cycle of addiction and improve your well-being.