In a series of posts, I’ve been detailing how we can free ourselves from social media addiction using early Buddhist teachings. These insights are drawn from the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, an ancient scripture outlining five strategies to manage our urges. Today, we’ll focus on the second strategy, which involves examining the drawbacks of having a mind that is out of control.
I particularly like this strategy because it uses a vivid and graphic image. The discourse suggests that we should recognize our harmful thoughts and see them as causing suffering. It compares this realization to the horror one would feel if a corpse was hung around their neck. This powerful image helps us see the unwholesomeness of our addictions.
The application of this principle to social media is clear: we need to be aware of the negative impacts of our addiction. Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are designed to be addictive, hooking into our brain’s reward circuits to keep us coming back for more. They draw us in with endless scrolling, autoplaying videos, and notifications.
There is substantial evidence showing the harmful effects of social media. For instance, a 2019 study found that heavy Facebook users made decisions as poorly as those addicted to cocaine or heroin. Most of us are hooked, with the average person spending four hours a day on their phone. This overuse leads to anxiety, depression, and a false sense of inadequacy because social media often shows an unrealistic, upbeat view of other people’s lives.
Social media not only affects our mental health but also manipulates our political views through engineered propaganda. Astonishingly, Facebook found that a Russian agency used a mindfulness page to influence US elections.
Personally, my biggest issue with social media was the time I wasted. I could easily spend an hour each morning reading news and scrolling through Twitter. This was time I could have spent walking, meditating, or working. Social media has a high opportunity cost.
Other drawbacks include staying up too late, reduced productivity, and neglecting loved ones. We’ve become so absorbed in our devices that we don’t pay attention to people around us. This addiction can lead to online conflicts and a loss of focus.
The concept of addiction is tied to the erroneous belief that it will bring happiness. This cognitive distortion is something the Buddha addressed, explaining that we mistakenly see impermanent things as lasting, and unattractive things as attractive.
One common fear is missing out on important events if we give up social media. This fear, known as FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), can be strong. I worried that leaving Facebook and Instagram would reduce my well-being. However, I found the opposite to be true. I was more content and productive and spent more time on meaningful activities like meditation and reading without distractions.
Cutting ties with social media brought me joy and freedom. Instead of experiencing FOMO, I felt JOMO (the Joy of Missing Out). The second tool from the Vitakkasanthana Sutta helps us to see social media for what it is: an addiction that makes us unhappy and takes us away from meaningful activities.
Reflecting on the drawbacks of social media helps us recognize the false promises it makes. We can understand that it doesn’t bring happiness or meaning. Recognizing this, we can start to see our desire for social media as unwholesome, like a rotting corpse.
However, it’s not enough to just focus on the negatives. We should also appreciate the positive aspects of our lives. Recognizing what brings us peace and joy makes the unwholesome stand out. If we only dwell on the drawbacks, we might end up feeling worse and resort to more social media use to escape those feelings. Instead, we should turn our attention to wholesome activities like being present, meditating, engaging in meaningful work, and enjoying simple pleasures.
As I stepped back from social media, I rediscovered the joy of reading, listening to classical music, and taking walks. Embracing simplicity and presence brought me happiness.
I suggest you do two things: make a list of the drawbacks of your social media use and note the wholesome activities that bring you joy. When you find yourself slipping into addictive behavior online, reflect on these lists. Develop a sense of “disgust” for the addictive behavior and cultivate an attraction to the wholesome things in life that truly make you happy.
These reflections can help us see our addictive behavior for what it is. They align us with who we want to be and guide us to a happier and freer state of mind.