In a series of six posts, I explain how we can break free from social media addiction using teachings from early Buddhist scriptures. These teachings are found in the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, which outlines five strategies for overcoming intrusive thoughts and urges.
One important point is that the Buddha’s advice suggests working through these tools in order. If redirecting the mind to positive things doesn’t work, then we consider the drawbacks of addiction. If that’s ineffective, the next tool is to “ignore and forget” whatever we’re obsessed with. This is the focus for today.
The discourse is brief on this method, stating that if bad, unskillful thoughts related to desire, hate, and delusion keep arising, one should ignore and forget them. This might seem easier said than done!
The principle is illustrated with a simple example: if someone with good eyesight sees something undesirable, they close their eyes or look away. This approach might sound simplistic, but it’s practical advice about reducing temptation.
We’ll explore this in two areas: external activity and internal activity. First, let’s look at managing external influences. To avoid social media, we can change our habits. For instance, if you want to lose weight and have a problem with potato chips, not keeping them at home helps since “out of sight, out of mind.” This applies to online addictions too.
Our primary access to the internet is through our phones. They’re always with us, making temptation constant. One way to manage this is by moving social media apps off your main screen, so you have to work to access them. Turning off notification sounds and visual alerts can also help by preventing interruptions.
Another helpful step is keeping your phone out of sight, at least sometimes. Don’t charge your phone by your bedside; charge it in another room. If you need an alarm, use a traditional alarm clock instead. This helps you start your day free from addiction and conditions how you live the rest of the day. Turning off your phone while charging it can also create a barrier, making it easier to avoid falling back into addiction.
Starting the day with a healthier activity, like meditating or reading a book, can be beneficial. Reading books, especially physical ones, helps train your mind and nourish it in ways that the internet rarely does.
Creating opportunities for phone-free time is also crucial. For instance, during meals with family or friends, mute your phone or keep it out of sight. Meditation retreats also offer a chance to disconnect and be present with your experiences.
These practical steps help us “look away” from our phones externally. Internally, there are deeper practices to help avoid getting caught up in thoughts about our addictions. One involves changing the way we use our eyes. Normally, we focus on specific points, like a flashlight beam. But we can also soften our gaze, being aware of everything in our visual field, like a lamp. This method can create a more open and relaxed state of mind.
In meditation, if our gaze and focus are narrow, we’re more likely to get distracted by thoughts. Softening our gaze allows us to be aware of a broad range of sensations, filling the mind with more substance and making it less likely to latch onto distractions. This can help us ignore and forget about intrusive thoughts.
Maintaining a soft gaze can make it easier to let thoughts and urges, like checking social media, arise and pass without acting on them. This concept is similar to “urge surfing,” where you observe an urge without giving in to it, letting it peak and then fade away.
To sum up, we’ve learned that reducing access to social media and changing the way we relate to our visual attention can help us break free from addictive patterns. By creating addiction-free spaces and practicing a more open focus, we can let go of compulsive thoughts and behaviors.