In a series of six articles, using insights from early Buddhist scriptures, I discuss how we can break free from our addiction to social media. These teachings come from the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, which outlines five strategies for overcoming persistent and compelling thoughts.
I refer to the Vitakkasanthana Sutta as the “Social Media Sutra” because it’s easier to remember and highlights its relevance to our daily lives.
Now, let’s talk about the last tool: sheer willpower. The Buddha says that with determination, by clenching your teeth and pressing your tongue to the roof of your mouth, you can force your mind to abandon negative thoughts. This approach might feel harsh and even violent, like a strong man overpowering a weaker one, but sometimes a strict approach is necessary when other methods fail.
I’ve found this useful at times. For example, when I’m up late on the internet, I may suddenly feel a sense of disgust and close my laptop abruptly. This sudden aversion isn’t really willpower but rather an immediate reaction, ending my compulsive browsing.
There are better and subtler ways to manage urges. These methods use willpower when you’re not actively craving, making it easier to control your habits. For instance, deleting social media apps from your phone makes accessing these services harder. You can even use parental controls to block sites like Twitter or Facebook altogether. On computers, browser plugins can limit your time on social media, and for a more drastic step, you can delete your accounts entirely.
I took such measures by deleting my Instagram and Facebook accounts. Despite Instagram being relatively benign, I didn’t like the disappointment of not getting enough likes. I loathed Facebook for various reasons, including privacy issues and its role in spreading propaganda. Quitting social media can make us happier, yet addiction and our mind’s lies hold us back.
Although I didn’t spend as much time on Twitter, it still became problematic. Twitter often stirs up outrage, which affected my well-being and consumed a lot of my time. To tackle this, I used a “willpower” trick. Instead of deleting my account, I locked myself out by using a randomized, hard-to-remember password stored in an encrypted file where I couldn’t easily retrieve it. This setup created a barrier, making it difficult to log back in, and it has helped me stay away from Twitter for months.
To summarize, we’ve been exploring the five tools from the Vitakkasanthana Sutta to help free our minds from obsessive thinking and compulsive urges. Thank you for joining me in this journey on using the Dharma to overcome social media addiction. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share and explore these practices together, and I appreciate Tricycle magazine for prompting this series.
Let’s continue to progress in overcoming obstacles, living with mindfulness, compassion, and joy.