In a series of six posts, I explain how we can break free from social media addiction using teachings from early Buddhist scriptures, specifically the Vitakkasanthana Sutta. This discourse outlines five strategies for overcoming compelling thoughts and the urges that go with them.
It’s essential to note that the Buddha advised using these tools in sequence. If redirecting the mind towards something positive doesn’t work, then we should consider the drawbacks of our addiction. If that also fails, the next tool is to “ignore and forget” what we’re fixated on, which is what we’re focusing on today.
The teachings succinctly state that if unskillful thoughts connected to desire, hate, and delusion keep arising, we should ignore and forget them. This might sound easier said than done, but it’s about reducing temptation. We’ll explore this on two levels: external actions and internal attitudes.
Externally, practical advice can help manage your attention. For instance, if you want to lose weight and have a problem with potato chips, keeping them out of sight makes you less likely to indulge. The same principle applies to social media. The devices we use for various tasks also tempt us to browse social media constantly. You can manage this by moving social media apps off your main phone screen and turning off notifications that demand your attention.
Keeping your phone out of sight at times is beneficial. Avoid having it at your bedside because this makes it the first thing you reach for in the morning. Charging your phone in another room allows you to start your day without immediately diving into the internet. This can set a healthier tone for the rest of the day, encouraging activities like meditation or reading instead of scrolling through social media.
Internally, there is a practice that might change how you meditate. Typically, we have a narrow focus, like a flashlight beam, concentrating on small parts of our visual field. By relaxing the muscles around your eyes and adopting a soft, open gaze, you can become aware of the entire visual field, similar to a glowing lamp.
This broader awareness extends to our inner senses too. In meditation, when our eyes are soft, our attention is more expansive, and we can notice a wider range of sensations. Thoughts become just one part of this field and can pass through without capturing our focus.
This technique helps us deal with compelling thoughts. Maintaining a soft gaze during everyday activities makes it easier to let thoughts and urges arise and pass away without acting on them. This concept is akin to “urge surfing,” where instead of succumbing to an urge, you observe it rise and fall until it dissipates.
We’ve learned that we can reduce our distractions from social media by:
1. Changing how we organize and interact with our devices.
2. Adjusting our visual focus to create psychological space for thoughts to come and go without engaging with them.
By doing so, we can create moments free from addictive behaviors and begin to free ourselves from these patterns. Through these approaches, we can achieve a healthier relationship with our thoughts and behaviors regarding social media use.