In a series of six posts, I explain how teachings from early Buddhist scriptures can help us overcome our addiction to social media. These teachings are found in the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, which offers five strategies for managing restless thoughts and the urges that come with them. I’ve renamed it “the Social Media Sutra” to make it more relevant and memorable.
Now, let’s talk about the fifth and final strategy, which might surprise you: sheer willpower. The Buddha’s advice here is quite intense. He suggests strongly resisting those bad thoughts with determination, almost like a physical struggle. This method should only be a last resort when other strategies haven’t worked.
I’ve experienced this myself. Sometimes, late at night, I find myself endlessly browsing the internet. It’s usually informative content, but it’s keeping me awake. In those moments, I often feel a sudden disgust for my actions and shut my laptop with determination. It’s not just willpower; it feels like a natural reaction breaking the cycle of compulsive browsing.
Fortunately, there are sneakier, more effective ways to control these urges. One approach is to make decisions that limit your access to social media when you’re not actively craving it. For instance, you can delete social media apps from your phone, use parental controls to block certain sites, or use browser plugins that limit your social media usage. You could even go as far as deleting your social media accounts entirely, though this requires significant willpower.
I’ve personally done this with my Instagram and Facebook accounts. I found that Instagram fueled my need for validation, and Facebook often provided a negative experience. By quitting these platforms, I felt a sense of relief and happiness. However, I kept using Twitter until it, too, started affecting my well-being due to its endless stream of outrage and time-consuming content.
The final willpower trick I recommend is locking yourself out of your account. This doesn’t mean deleting it, but creating a barrier that prevents easy access. For example, you can change your password to something you won’t remember and then log out. You can retrieve it if needed, but that extra step is usually enough to deter casual browsing.
This method effectively quit my last social media habit, freeing up time and improving my mood. The trick is to handle your addictive urges when they are not active. By setting barriers when you’re not in the throes of craving, you create a safety net that makes it harder to fall back into old habits.
In summary, we’ve explored the five tools from the Vitakkasanthana Sutta to help free our minds from obsessive thoughts and compulsive urges. Thanks for joining me in this series on using the Dharma to overcome social media addiction. It’s been a pleasure to explore and share these teachings with you, and I’m grateful for the opportunity. May we all continue to progress in living with mindfulness, compassion, and joy.