In a series of six posts, I explain how we can free ourselves from addiction to social media using teachings from early Buddhist scriptures. These teachings come from the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, which outlines five strategies for overcoming compelling trains of thought and the accompanying urges.
One important point to note is that the Buddha’s advice recommends using these tools in a specific order. If redirecting the mind to positive aspects doesn’t work, then we should see the drawbacks of addiction. If that too doesn’t work, the next step is to “ignore and forget” what we’re obsessed with, which is the tool we’ll explore today.
The discourse on this tool is brief: if bad, unskillful thoughts connected with desire, hate, and delusion keep arising, they should be ignored and forgotten. You might think this is easier said than done.
The analogy provided suggests that if someone with good eyesight encounters undesirable sights, they’d close their eyes or look away. While this seems simplistic, it’s practical advice focusing on reducing temptation.
We’ll examine this approach in two areas: external activity and internal activity. First, by changing our habits, we can literally ignore and look away from social media. Then, we’ll explore how these changes affect our internal experience, potentially transforming our wellbeing.
For practical advice, consider an example like wanting to lose weight but having a weakness for potato chips. If you don’t keep them at home, you’re less likely to indulge. The principle of “out of sight, out of mind” also applies to social media. Avoid the chip aisle in the supermarket; similarly, avoid having social media apps on the main screen of your phone.
Move social media apps to the second or third screen of your phone, making them less accessible. Turn off the red notification badges and audible notifications to prevent constant interruptions. By not having your phone at your bedside, you remove early morning temptations. Charge your phone elsewhere and use an alarm clock instead. This small barrier gives you a moment of peace before diving into the social media world.
Another useful step is having your phone out of sight during meals or social gatherings. Encourage shared time without digital interruptions. At meditation retreats, the absence of phones reminds us that offline interactions bring more happiness.
Internally, the way we use our eyes impacts our mental state. Typically, we’re focused on specific points in our visual field—a method like a flashlight beam—narrow and directed. Alternatively, you can soften your gaze, seeing everything in your visual field like a lamp, inclusive and relaxed.
Applying this relaxed gaze helps during meditation. A tight visual focus narrows our internal attention, often leading to distraction. A relaxed gaze allows broader awareness, making it easier to let thoughts pass without engaging with them. This technique of softening the eyes can make it simpler to step away from compulsions like social media.
This principle is akin to “urge surfing,” where we observe urges without acting on them, allowing them to rise and fall naturally. Keeping an open gaze and maintaining an expansive attention field help manage these urges.
Ignoring and forgetting compelling thoughts and urges may seem simplistic, but it’s deeply effective. We can reduce social media distractions by creating addiction-free environments and changing our visual focus to allow mental space for thoughts to arise and pass away without attachment.
Through these strategies, we can begin to free ourselves from addictive behaviors and thought patterns.