In a series of six posts, I’ll explain how we can free ourselves from social media addiction by using teachings from early Buddhist scriptures, specifically from the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, which outlines five strategies for overcoming compelling thoughts and the accompanying urges.
One important point is that the Buddha advises using these tools in order. If redirecting our mind to positive things doesn’t work, we should then focus on the drawbacks of our addiction. If that also doesn’t work, we move to the next tool: simply “ignore and forget” whatever we’re obsessed with. This is the technique we’ll explore today.
The instructions for this tool are straightforward: if bad, unskillful thoughts related to desire, hate, and delusion persist, we should ignore and forget about them. Although this might sound easier said than done, with practice, it’s possible.
The principle boils down to reducing temptation. Let’s break this down into two areas: external activity and internal activity.
First, let’s talk about external activity. For instance, if you’re trying to lose weight and can’t resist potato chips, it’s best not to keep them in the house. Similarly, to avoid social media, we should create habits that make it less accessible. Move social media apps to the second or third screen of your phone, turn off notifications that grab your attention, and charge your phone away from your bed to reduce the temptation to check it first thing in the morning. Using an old-fashioned alarm clock instead of your phone can help create a buffer between you and the internet.
Keeping your phone out of sight can also help. For example, during meals with friends or family, mute your phone or leave it in another room. Some people put their phones in a pile at a restaurant and the first person to touch theirs has to pay for everyone’s meal—this kind of strategy can create phone-free times.
Meditation retreats are also beneficial. Some retreats require you to hand in your phone, but even if they don’t, you can leave it switched off in your car or put it somewhere hard to reach. The aim is to create barriers that help reduce your online time, making you happier and more present.
Next, let’s discuss internal activity. There are two ways to use our attention with our eyes: focusing narrowly like a flashlight or broadly like a lamp. When we use a soft, open gaze that takes in everything around us, it also helps our mind become more relaxed and open. This method makes it easier to ignore thoughts and urges because they become just one small part of a larger field of awareness. Practicing this can help during meditation and daily life.
This broader awareness helps when dealing with urges. Instead of fixating narrowly on a distracting thought or feeling, we can observe it without getting caught up. This practice, similar to “urge surfing,” helps us see that urges naturally rise and fall and that we can stay in control without acting on them.
To summarize, we can reduce our social media distractions by changing our habits: keeping our phones out of sight, turning off notifications, and creating barriers to online access. Internally, we can shift the way we use our attention, making it easier to let thoughts and urges pass without engaging with them. By practicing these techniques, we can begin to free ourselves from addictive patterns of thought and behavior.