In late 2019, I recorded a series of talks for Tricycle magazine about how Buddhist practices can help us tackle social media and internet addiction. Although the talks were published online in January of the following year, I decided to turn my notes into a series of articles. There are six articles in total – an introduction and one for each of the five tools I discussed.
After giving those talks, I realized there was more to say, so I expanded a bit on my original points. I’ve struggled with social media addiction myself, especially given how much time my work requires me to spend online. Like many people, I carry a device that I call a “phone,” although I rarely use it to make actual calls. Instead, it feels like a portal that constantly tempts me with endless distractions.
With my phone in hand, I often found myself spending far too much time online. This habit negatively impacted my work and sometimes kept me up late reading fascinating articles, mostly about science and psychology. Even though the content was good, I just couldn’t stop, leading to lack of sleep. Despite my love for books, I struggled to focus on them, and this lack of deep immersion made life feel less fulfilling.
There were additional problems, too. For instance, I sometimes got involved in online arguments, which not only made me angry but also left me anxious about logging into social media. I would obsessively check for likes or shares, craving attention. All of these habits caused suffering.
Naturally, I began to wonder how my Buddhist practice could help me overcome this addiction. I want to share some tools I found useful, in case you face similar challenges with online habits. By the time I wrote these six articles, I had mostly overcome my addictions, though I occasionally struggled with spending too much time on Twitter. Thankfully, by continuing to use the techniques I’ll discuss, I also managed to detach from Twitter.
When I say “social media addiction,” I’m not just talking about enjoying social media. I mean the compulsive use of social media despite recognizing its harmful effects on ourselves and others. Compulsion makes us feel out of control and often leads to shame. We might even become dishonest about how bad our addiction is.
I use “social media” broadly, including social media sites, online games, or compulsively checking the news. While the Buddha didn’t specifically mention the internet or social media, he provided extensive guidance on overcoming compulsive thoughts and behaviors. One particular discourse, the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, or “Discourse on Quieting Thinking,” offers a rich array of tools.
“Vitakka” means “thinking,” and “santhana” means “stopping” or “ceasing.” In this context, thinking includes the urges driving actions, like the urge to pick up your phone, which is considered a “thought” in Buddhist terms. This discourse is about letting go of harmful urges and habits.
Most people interpret the Vitakkasanthana Sutta as addressing meditation, but its principles can be applied to any part of life, including social media. In a way, you could think of it as the Social Media Sutra. The discourse offers five tools. You start with the first tool and move to the next if one doesn’t work.
Here’s an overview of the five tools:
These five approaches give us a robust set of tools to counter addictive behaviors and the associated feelings of anger and anxiety. I’ll delve into each tool, explaining what the Buddha said (including his illustrations) and making them practical.
That’s it for today. I hope you’ll enjoy this series of blog posts. Notice any addictive patterns you have with social media. What kind of suffering does this lead to? How does your compulsion manifest? Can you experiment with giving up social media for a day or two? If not, what’s stopping you? What is your experience if you do abstain temporarily? Do you feel joy, relief, craving, or anxiety?
If we approach social media use as a limited time window and gradually reduce it, we can decrease our usage. While it takes willpower, this simple strategy can significantly lessen our dependence on social media.
Bodhipaksa has published a series of six posts on mindful and self-compassionate tools for overcoming social media addiction. This application of ancient texts to modern problems demonstrates the timeless relevance of the Dhamma.
I would like to ask a question regarding the term “vitakka.” My understanding is that, at least within the Abdhidhamma, vitakka means ‘initial application,’ whereas vicaara refers to sustained thinking. Could you clarify this?
I realize some interpret vitakka and vicara as forms of attention, but I rely on the suttas for guidance and use these terms as I was taught, which aligns with my meditation experience. Both vitakka and vicara are present in the first jhana and disappear in the second. There’s a stable, joyful state where limited thinking occurs, and then a state where thinking stops—this corresponds to the first and second jhana.
For instance, the Buddha describes noble silence as the second jhana, free from vitakka and vicara. If first jhana were already silent, this distinction wouldn’t make sense. In the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, vitakka seems to relate to thinking, as in the Culavedalla Sutta, where Dhammadinna explains that after vitakka and vicara, speech follows.
If vitakka and vicara were merely forms of attention, they would lead to verbal, physical, and mental actions, not just speech. I find the straightforward interpretation that vitakka and vicara refer to thinking more aligned with how thoughts arise and turn into speech.
It’s important to note that long-held interpretations are difficult to change. Thank you for your questions and insights.
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