In a series of posts, I explain how we can break free from our social media addiction using teachings from the early Buddhist scriptures, specifically the Vitakkasanthana Sutta. This ancient text outlines five strategies for overcoming strong urges, and today, we’ll focus on the second strategy, which is about understanding the drawbacks of having an out-of-control mind.
This week, we’re looking at how a lack of control over our thoughts can be quite harmful. The teaching suggests that when we recognize our unskillful thoughts as harmful and leading to suffering, those thoughts lose their power over us. Imagine a young person, fond of adornments, being horrified if a corpse were hung around their neck. It’s a vivid image to illustrate the ugliness of our negative thoughts.
When it comes to social media, this concept applies directly. Social media platforms are designed to hook us by tapping into our brain’s reward systems, making us crave likes, shares, and comments. They keep us glued by autoplaying videos and notifying us when someone is responding to our posts. There’s substantial evidence showing the negative impact of social media. It’s not just the severe addicts whose lives are ruined; even casual users can suffer. For instance, a 2019 study revealed that heavy Facebook users have impaired decision-making skills similar to those addicted to drugs.
Most of us are hooked to some degree. The average person now spends roughly four hours per day on their phone, often leading to anxiety, depression, and feelings of loneliness. Social media can trick us into believing we’re less successful than others because it often showcases an idealized version of people’s lives. More time spent on social media typically correlates with decreased happiness and life satisfaction.
Moreover, social media is being used for social engineering, influencing our political decisions without us even realizing it. A case in point is Facebook discovering that a Russian internet agency created a mindfulness page to influence U.S. elections.
One major drawback for me personally was the time wasted on social media. I used to spend hours in the morning on my phone, time that I could have spent walking, meditating, or working. Social media comes with a high opportunity cost.
Other disadvantages include staying up too late staring at screens, reduced productivity due to constant interruptions, and the lack of attention we give our loved ones, often getting into conflicts or losing our ability to focus. These behaviors are likely familiar to you.
Addiction disguises itself as a source of happiness, a concept found in the Buddha’s teaching of vipallasa, or cognitive distortion. We mistakenly believe that engaging in social media or reading news online will make us happy when, in reality, the opposite is true. Many of us experience FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), fearing that leaving social media will make us miss significant events or news. But when I cut down on my social media use, I found myself more content and productive. I enjoyed meditating more, reading books with full attention, and was generally happier.
The shift from experiencing FOMO to JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) was liberating. Recognizing the drawbacks of social media addiction helps us see that the promise of happiness it offers is false. It distracts us from meaningful activities and keeps us from true contentment.
Returning to the Buddha’s image, it’s like wearing a beautiful outfit with a rotting corpse around your neck. This image helps us see the grossness of our addictions. However, it’s essential to also appreciate the good and wholesome aspects of our lives.
Reflecting on the negatives of social media can make us feel bad about ourselves, which might drive us to spend even more time online. Thus, as we examine the drawbacks of online addiction, we should also engage in wholesome activities like being present, meditating, connecting with others, and enjoying simple pleasures.
As I distanced myself from social media, I rediscovered the joys of reading, listening to classical music, and taking walks. Immersing myself in wholesome activities brought me a sense of peace and happiness that social media never could.
So, here are two things you can do: create a sense of disgust for your addictive behaviors and develop an attraction to wholesome activities. This balance will help you manage your impulses better.
These reflections help us understand our addictive behavior as something unpleasant. They give us a clearer view of who we are and how we want to live, helping us to overcome our addictive tendencies and gain more control over our minds.
Log off and make it a habit, move social media icons to less accessible screens, add healthier alternatives to your routine, and schedule social media-free days to review their effects on your well-being. These are all excellent ideas to help manage social media use and promote a more balanced life.
By doing these things, you can shift from feeling restricted by social media to enjoying a more peaceful and fulfilling life.