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Social media is making many people more depressed – Buddhist philosophy may offer an explanation

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A Buddhist Perspective on Social Media: The Illusion of Connection and the Pursuit of Perfection

In the Buddhist language, Pāli, the word for human dissatisfaction and suffering is dukkha. Buddhist thinkers believe all human suffering is caused by desire, attachment, or craving. As a Buddhist philosopher who has just completed a PhD with a focus on Buddhist thought, I believe this ancient insight describes our contemporary world more than we might think.

The Illusion of Connection

We live in the most well-connected global society in history. We can talk to people around the world at the touch of a button. But, despite this, feelings of loneliness are on the rise. Social media sites are supposedly engineered to increase connections between people, yet it seems that more and more they increase our isolation.

I suggest that social media is not a genuine source of connection because it is always fundamentally a mediation, because it is always experienced through a screen. Behind our phone screens, we can exercise a level of control over conversations that we do not possess in person. But I believe that it is the spontaneity of face-to-face communication that allows for true connection.

The Pursuit of Perfection

Korean-German philosopher Byung-Chul Han terms our current focus on perfection “the aesthetics of the smooth” because there is seemingly no space for imperfection. Pets and children have to look cute, videos have to be funny, food must be appetising, and bodies must be young and eroticised. If not, you will not receive sufficient likes. Any such imperfection would interrupt the veneer of “smoothness” that social media lets us place over our lives.

According to Buddhist philosophy, the principal thing humans crave above all else is a permanent sense of self. Unlike most other religions, Buddhism argues against the existence of a “me” or “soul” that remains the same over time. So instead of seeking to perfect your posts as an extension of yourself, Buddhism would advise accepting the impermanence of appearances and the reality of your imperfections. Craving for the contrary will only cause further suffering.

Buddhist Thinking and Social Media

From a Zen perspective, social media platforms further separate us from what is and so increase delusion. They perpetuate this phenomenon because it obliges us to exhibit ourselves – presenting our image for likes and inviting comments. Through externalisation, we are forced to constantly compare the image we create of ourselves and our lives to those of others, which can lead to us experiencing “comparative craving” – wishing that our lives were as good as those on screen.

Korean-German philosopher Byung-Chul Han terms our current focus on perfection “the aesthetics of the smooth” because there is seemingly no space for imperfection. Pets and children have to look cute, videos have to be funny, food must be appetising, and bodies must be young and eroticised. If not, you will not receive sufficient likes. Any such imperfection would interrupt the veneer of “smoothness” that social media lets us place over our lives.

Conclusion

To apply Buddhist thinking to the issues social media has created, we should view it as an edited reality. As in Zen philosophy, we should recognise the screen as a barrier sometimes, rather than a bridge to other people. Although externalisation is now the norm, remember that appearances aren’t everything: any so-called beauty we see posted, bodies and things both, will eventually fade. Permanent perfection is not as Buddhism would term it, or “the way things are” because it is unattainable.

While most of us won’t be able to commit to the attainment of nirvana, we should still attempt to alleviate our suffering. For Buddhism, that begins with recognising and acknowledging social media’s growing hold over our sense of contentment and inner peace – in itself, this is a form of awakening.

FAQs

What is the Pāli word for human dissatisfaction and suffering? Dukkha.

What does Buddhist philosophy believe causes human suffering? Desire, attachment, or craving.

What is the main flaw in social media, according to Buddhist philosophy? Its ability to further separate us from what is, leading to increased delusion and craving.

How can we apply Buddhist thinking to social media? View it as an edited reality and recognise the screen as a barrier, rather than a bridge, to other people.

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