In late 2019, I recorded a series of talks for Tricycle magazine, focusing on how Buddhist practices can help tackle social media and internet addiction. Although the talks went online in January of the following year, I decided to turn my notes into a series of articles, which includes this introduction and five more articles, each covering different tools.
I added more details to the articles than what was in the original talks. After giving a talk, you often realize there are things you could have said but didn’t!
Here are links to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.
I’ll admit, I’ve struggled with social media addiction. My job requires me to spend a lot of time online, which makes it easy to get pulled into social media. Like most people, I carry a device — we call it a phone, but it’s really just a glass portal to endless distractions.
I found myself spending too much time online, which negatively impacted my work and sometimes caused me to stay up too late reading interesting articles, often about science and psychology. Although the content was good, my inability to stop reading led to a lack of sleep. I used to love reading books but found it hard to stay focused, making life feel shallower.
There were also additional problems, like getting involved in online disputes that left me feeling anxious and angry. I’d crave attention, constantly checking if my posts were liked or shared. All of these behaviors caused suffering.
Naturally, I wondered how my Buddhist practice could help with my online addiction. I’m sharing tools that I’ve found useful in case you experience similar challenges.
By the time I wrote these articles, I had mostly overcome my addictions, but I still struggled with spending too much time on Twitter, which affected my mental state. Thankfully, by continuing to practice the techniques I’ll discuss, I was able to quit Twitter as well.
So, what do I mean by social media addiction? It’s not just enjoying social media but using it compulsively despite its harmful consequences. This compulsive behavior makes us feel out of control and creates a sense of shame, often leading to dishonesty about how addicted we are.
When I refer to social media, I’m using the term broadly. It includes not just sites like Facebook and Twitter but also online games and compulsive news checking.
Although the Buddha didn’t specifically address the internet, he spoke extensively about overcoming compelling patterns of thought and behavior. One particularly relevant discourse is the Vitakkasanthana Sutta, which translates to the “Discourse on Quieting Thinking.”
In this context, “thinking” includes not just verbal thoughts but also urges that drive our behaviors, like picking up a phone to check social media without any accompanying inner dialogue. The discourse is fundamentally about letting go of unhelpful urges or habits.
While most people think this sutta only applies to meditation, it actually offers principles that can be applied in everyday life, including social media use. You could think of it as a guide to managing social media addiction.
The discourse outlines five tools, suggesting you start with the first and move to the next if it doesn’t work. I’ll be discussing each tool, what the Buddha said about them, and how to practically apply them.
That’s it for today. I hope you’ll find this series of articles helpful.
Click here to read about the first tool, Pivoting Toward the Skillful.
Take note of any addictive behaviors you have with social media. How does it cause suffering? How does your compulsion show itself? Try experimenting with giving up social media, even for a day or two, and observe what prevents you if you can’t. What’s your experience like if you manage to give it up for a short period? Do you feel joy, relief, craving, or anxiety?
Consider setting a limited timeframe to reduce social media usage gradually. While it requires willpower, this simple strategy can significantly cut down your time spent online.