In a series of posts, I explain how teachings from early Buddhist scriptures can help us break free from social media addiction. These teachings are found in the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, an ancient text that outlines five strategies to overcome our compelling urges.
This week, we’re focusing on the second strategy, which is examining the disadvantages of having a mind that’s out of control. This particular teaching uses a vivid and visceral image to convey its message. The text describes that we should recognize certain thoughts as unskillful, blameworthy, and causing suffering. Just as a person would be horrified if they had a dead snake, dog, or human body around their neck, we should feel repelled by unskillful thoughts.
Applying this to social media is straightforward. We need to recognize the drawbacks of social media and our addiction to it. Social media platforms are designed to be addictive, hooking into our brain’s reward circuits to keep us coming back. Features like endless scrolling, autoplay videos, and notifications that someone is responding to our posts are all engineered to keep us engaged.
Research has shown that social media has various negative effects. A 2019 study by researchers at Michigan State University and Monash University in Australia found that heavy Facebook users have impaired decision-making skills, similar to those addicted to drugs like cocaine or heroin. On average, people spend four hours a day on their phones. Social media can make us anxious, depressed, and lonely. It can deceive us into thinking we are doing worse than others because people often present an overly positive view of their lives online.
Spending more time on social media corresponds with a decrease in happiness and life satisfaction. Furthermore, bad actors use these platforms as tools for social engineering and propaganda, influencing our political decisions without us even realizing it. Ironically, Facebook discovered that a Russian internet agency had set up a mindfulness page as part of an effort to influence U.S. elections.
On a personal level, the biggest drawback for me was the sheer amount of time wasted on social media. I could easily spend an hour each morning reading news stories and browsing Twitter instead of dedicating that time to more productive activities like walking, meditating, or working. Social media also pulls us away from our loved ones and disrupts our focus and productivity.
Addiction, even though it negatively impacts our lives, falsely promises happiness. This concept is part of the Buddha’s teachings on cognitive distortions or vipallasa. These distortions include seeing impermanent things as permanent, finding things attractive that aren’t, and assuming that external things are intrinsic to our identity. The cognitive distortion here is thinking that activities like social media will make us happy when, in reality, they lead to unhappiness.
People often talk about FOMO, the Fear of Missing Out. Initially, I worried that quitting Facebook would mean losing touch with distant relatives and missing significant events. However, I found the opposite to be true. The less time I spent on social media, the more content and productive I became. I was able to focus on reading a book, meditating, and other activities without distraction, and I enjoyed it.
Letting go of most of my social media accounts was liberating. Instead of FOMO, I experienced JOMO, the Joy of Missing Out. The second tool from the Vitakkasanthana Sutta helps us understand this by examining the drawbacks of our immersion in social media. It allows us to see our desires for social media more skeptically, identifying those urges as false promises.
The Buddha’s imagery about a corpse being hung around a person’s neck encourages us to see social media addiction as something repulsive and invasive. This helps us recognize the importance of valuing what’s wholesome and good in our lives, such as peace and joy. Thus, it’s crucial to also reflect on the positive and meaningful activities that bring us true happiness.
For instance, since I’ve reduced my social media use, I’ve rediscovered the joy of reading, listening to classical music, and going for walks. These activities are simple yet deeply fulfilling. To combat the effects of social media, try making two lists: one of the drawbacks of social media and one of wholesome activities that you enjoy.
When you find yourself slipping into online addiction, recall these lists. Create a sense of “disgust” toward addictive behaviors, but balance it with an attraction to wholesome, nourishing activities that genuinely make you happy.
In summary, by recognizing the negative impact of social media addiction and concentrating on positive, fulfilling activities, we can gain greater control over our minds and lead happier, more content lives.