In a series of posts, I explain how teachings from early Buddhist scriptures can help us break free from social media addiction. These teachings come from the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, an ancient text that outlines five strategies for overcoming our compelling urges.
This week, we’re focusing on the second strategy, which involves examining the disadvantages of having a mind that is out of control. The Vitakkasanthana Sutta offers a vivid and memorable image for this: Imagine a young person who loves to dress up, having a dead snake, dog, or human corpse hung around their neck. They’d be horrified and disgusted. This graphic image helps us understand the drawbacks of uncontrolled thoughts and behaviors.
Applying this to social media, we need to recognize the disadvantages and examine how it hooks us. Social media platforms are designed to be addictive, tapping into our brain’s reward circuits to keep us coming back for more. Features like endless scrolling, autoplaying videos, and notifications when someone is typing all keep us engaged longer than we intend.
There’s abundant evidence of social media’s negative effects. It’s not just a few extreme cases; nearly everyone is affected. A 2019 study found that heavy Facebook users have impaired decision-making skills comparable to cocaine or heroin addicts. The average person now spends around four hours a day on their phone, which can lead to anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Social media gives us a distorted view of others’ lives, making us feel inadequate. The more time we spend on these platforms, the more our happiness and life satisfaction drop.
Moreover, bad actors use social media for propaganda and manipulating political decisions. For example, Facebook discovered that a Russian internet agency used a mindfulness page to influence U.S. elections.
For me, the main drawback was the sheer amount of time wasted. I found myself spending hours in the morning reading news and browsing Twitter, time that could have been used more productively. Social media has an opportunity cost.
Social media can also lead to staying up too late, ignoring loved ones, getting into conflicts, and reducing productivity. This distraction and addiction are familiar to many of us.
Addictions promise happiness but often deliver the opposite. The Buddha taught about cognitive distortions or vipallasa, which include seeing impermanent things as permanent and unattractive things as attractive. We often mistakenly believe that participating in social media, playing online games, or reading the news will make us happy. This belief is a cognitive distortion.
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) drives much of our social media use. We worry about losing touch with relatives, missing significant events, or not being up-to-date with breaking news. However, when I reduced my social media use, I became more content and productive. I spent more time meditating and could focus on reading with full attention. This was a huge blessing.
Cutting back on social media led to what I call the Joy of Missing Out (JOMO), as opposed to FOMO. This second tool from the Vitakkasanthana Sutta helps us see our social media desires for what they are: false promises of happiness. We start to view our cravings with skepticism and recognize that social media often leads to unhappiness, distracting us from what truly matters.
Returning to the Buddha’s image, the horror of having a corpse draped around a well-dressed person symbolizes the gross nature of our addictions. Recognizing this helps us see how out of place these behaviors are in our lives. But we also need to acknowledge the good and wholesome aspects of our lives. By focusing on what brings us peace and joy, the negative aspects of social media become clearer.
Reflecting only on the drawbacks can make us feel bad, possibly driving us to spend even more time online. Instead, we should balance this by turning our attention to wholesome activities like being present, meditating, focusing on meaningful work, or enjoying simple pleasures.
As I disengaged from social media, I rediscovered the joys of reading, listening to classical music, and going for walks. I suggest you make two lists: one of the disadvantages of social media use and another of the activities that bring you joy. When you feel the urge to use social media, recall these lists.
Create a sense of “disgust” for addictive behaviors but balance it with an attraction to wholesome activities. This approach helps us see our addiction more clearly and strive for a happier, more controlled life.