In a series of six posts, I explain how to free ourselves from social media addiction using teachings from early Buddhist scriptures found in the Vitakkasanthana Sutta. This discourse outlines five strategies for overcoming compelling thoughts and urges.
One important thing to note is that the Buddha’s advice is to use these tools in a specific order. If redirecting the mind to something positive doesn’t work, the next step is to see the drawbacks of addiction. If that still doesn’t work, the following tool is to “ignore and forget” whatever obsession we have. That’s the focus of today’s discussion.
The discourse mentions that if bad thoughts filled with desire, hate, or delusion continue to arise, they should be ignored and forgotten. This might sound easier said than done, but it’s essentially about reducing temptation.
We’ll explore this concept in two areas: external activities and internal experiences. First, let’s consider external activities. For instance, if you’re trying to lose weight but have a problem with eating potato chips, it’s easier to avoid them if they’re not in your line of sight. The same principle applies to social media addiction.
Our primary gateway to social media is our phones, which we carry everywhere, making temptation constant. To reduce this, try moving social media apps to the second or third screen of your phone so accessing them requires more effort. Disable notification badges and audible alerts to prevent interruptions.
It’s also beneficial to keep your phone out of sight and mind periodically. For example, don’t keep your phone at your bedside at night. Charge it in another room so you start the day without immediate internet access. Using an alarm clock instead of your phone can also help with this.
Turning off your phone while it charges overnight can create a small barrier that makes it easier to avoid immediate engagement. Personally, I find that charging my phone in the living room encourages me to meditate or read a book in the morning, rather than getting online right away.
Creating phone-free times, like during meals with family or friends, can also help. Some people put their phones in a pile at a restaurant, and whoever touches their phone during the meal pays for everyone’s food. This can be a fun and effective strategy.
Meditation retreats offer an excellent opportunity to disconnect from the internet and reconnect with direct experiences. Some retreats even require you to hand in your phone, but you can also choose to leave it in your car or put it in a sealed envelope with an encouraging message on it.
These are practical ways to “look away” from your phone or “close your eyes” to it, as suggested by the Vitakkasanthana Sutta. However, there’s also an internal approach to avoiding addiction-driven thoughts.
There are two ways to use our eyes: a focused gaze and a soft, open gaze. The soft gaze allows us to be aware of everything in our visual field without focusing narrowly. This relaxed way of seeing can lead to a more relaxed body and mind.
In meditation, a soft gaze can broaden our inner attention, helping us be aware of many sensations in the body and making it easier to let thoughts arise and pass without getting caught up in them.
By maintaining a soft gaze during daily activities, it’s easier to let thoughts and urges, like checking Facebook, pass without acting on them. This is similar to “urge surfing,” where we observe an urge without assuming it will overwhelm us. Instead, we watch it peak and then subside.
We’ve learned that reducing our chances of being distracted by social media involves practical steps like:
– Rearranging app placement
– Disabling notifications
– Creating phone-free times
– Starting the day without immediate internet access
Additionally, we can create mental space by adopting a soft gaze and letting thoughts pass without getting caught up in them. By doing these things, we can start to free ourselves from addictive patterns of thought and behavior.