In a series of six posts, I discuss how teachings from early Buddhist scriptures can help us break free from social media addiction. These teachings are found in the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, which offers five strategies for overcoming persistent thoughts and the urges that come with them. I’ve dubbed this text “the Social Media Sutra” because it’s a practical and catchy reminder that these ancient teachings are relevant to our digital lives.
Now, let’s get to the fifth and final strategy, which might surprise you: sheer willpower. The Buddha talks about using intense mental force to push away unwanted thoughts, likening it to a strong man subduing a weaker one. While it sounds harsh, it’s meant to be a last resort when other methods don’t work.
I’ve noticed this in my own life too. Sometimes, when I’m stuck online late at night, reading interesting articles but losing sleep, I get a sudden wave of disgust and just slam my laptop shut. It feels like a burst of willpower, but in reality, it just happens spontaneously.
There are more effective and subtle ways to deal with these urges, often involving a kind of indirect willpower. For instance, deleting social media apps from your phone makes it harder to access those platforms. You could even use parental controls to block the sites completely, making them inaccessible.
On a computer, you can use browser plugins that limit the time you spend on social media. Taking it a step further, deleting your social media accounts can be a powerful move. I did this with Instagram and Facebook because I found they weren’t bringing me the happiness I sought. Instagram had me craving validation, and Facebook often led to unproductive arguments and privacy concerns.
Research shows that quitting social media actually makes us happier, but the addiction and our own minds often convince us otherwise. After deleting my Facebook and Instagram accounts, Twitter was the only platform I still used. However, Twitter also became problematic; it’s an outrage-driven space that consumed a lot of my time and affected my well-being.
The final trick I used to get off Twitter involved setting up barriers to access my account. For example, changing your password to something unknown and locking it away in a safe place keeps you out unless you make a concerted effort to get back in. This method stopped my Twitter use and freed up significant time and mental space.
Summarizing the series, we’ve explored five tools from the Vitakkasanthana Sutta to help manage obsessive thoughts and urges. I hope these insights help you as they’ve helped me, allowing us to live with more mindfulness, compassion, and joy. Thank you for following along, and may we continue to overcome the challenges that hinder our personal growth.