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YouTube Addiction

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Re: YouTube Addiction

#121

Post by cpsns »

kzrdude wrote: post #109
BizarreByte wrote: post #107

I am seriously addicted to the internet in general and while it may not be an addiction in the physical sense, it has caused major issues in my life. The amount of time I spend on the Internet is insane and no matter how hard I try to will power through it and cut down my usage I always fail. If I ever figure out how to overcome it I'll have to write a book or something, because I've wasted years of my life and misse…

What about the existential dread route (sorry!). "If I don't quit this, then I'll never do X.. and my life amounts to nothing". It might be blocking a lot of life goals that will never come to be.

> "If I don't quit this, then I'll never do X.. and my life amounts to nothing"

I've thought this a lot and honestly? I retreat back into the internet so I can forget about it/put it out of mind for a bit longer.

Re: YouTube Addiction

#122

Post by charles_f »

superkuh wrote: post #30

Nope. Stop using the medical word addiction in contexts where it's highly inappropriate. Youtube isn't even a single thing . It's just a video hosting service. The types of videos on it are extremely wildly varying. Video addiction is not a thing. See how stupid it sounds when you say it like it is?

> Stop using the medical word addiction in contexts where it's highly inappropriate. Youtube isn't even a single thing

You're playing with semantics in a context where

1) everyone understands what the author is saying when talking about addiction, making it appropriate to convey what they mean

2) the word pre-dates DSM, the fact that DSM defines that in a medical sense doesn't change the definition from the dictionary, which fits very much with what the author is describing (1). That's very much you getting angry at sound engineers because they are not engineers per the sense of professional colleges, whereas that's how their profession is called.

3) Give time to all the troubles created by digital products to be studied, understood, and make their way into that guide. Psychology and mental afflictions are still a very evolving field of medicine. DSM is changing to reflect that, a notable change between IV and V was regrouping AS into ADS because the symptoms and the underlying cause are similar. The is the case for what everyone calls digital addiction. I suspect there will be some forms of that formally coming up.

4) the dependency mechanisms work in the same way, people suffering from it have the same withdrawal symptoms. There's some valid criticism for the DSM not to categorize it as addiction (2)(3).

> Video addiction is not a thing. See how stupid it sounds when you say it like it is?

5) the author's struggle to disconnect is real, the impact on their life is real, their pain is real. I am not sure what authorizes you to discard their pain, and to qualify this as stupid. Show a little empathy.

1: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/addiction 2: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/addiction-in-society... 3: https://unitedbrainassociation.org/brain-resources/digital-a...

Re: YouTube Addiction

#123

Post by smoldesu »

theptip wrote: post #112
smoldesu wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> a harm reduced alternative to actually playing games. There's probably some merit to this statement, but I sorta laugh at the difference in harm between 'watching' and 'playing'. Maybe the most candid thing for us to do is acknowledge that the "harm" we're talking about is a lack of gratification.

I think the idea is 30 mins watching scratches the itch, 30 mins playing and you are going to play for hours more. (At least, this is how it is for me, can’t speak for the GP.)

Sure. Impulse control plays a major part in both though, which is mostly why I find it funny. My ex-boyfriend had ADHD and swore off video games for the same reason, but he'd end up watching YouTube for hours if I left him unchecked. Nothing necessarily wrong with that, but I feel like the difference between both addictions is smaller than it seems.

Re: YouTube Addiction

#124

Post by tester457 »

BizarreByte wrote: post #107

I am seriously addicted to the internet in general and while it may not be an addiction in the physical sense, it has caused major issues in my life. The amount of time I spend on the Internet is insane and no matter how hard I try to will power through it and cut down my usage I always fail. If I ever figure out how to overcome it I'll have to write a book or something, because I've wasted years of my life and misse…

What extensions have you tried to limit your usage?

Re: YouTube Addiction

#125

Post by [deleted] »

vehemenz wrote: post #34
sillysaurusx wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

TikTok is amazing. You can rip it from my cold dead iPad. :) My pet Pip! https://imgur.com/a/vAFOZHd Also, HN is just as much social media as any other. How often do you glance at your karma the moment the site loads? (Didn’t downvote though.)

"Social media" is a neologism in the context of internet forums. Most of the standard features aren't present. There are no followers, no private messages, no notifications, no phone app. Compared to Reddit or IRC, there are no individual forums/chatrooms that powerful users moderate. If HN is social media, then so is letter writing.

[deleted]

Re: YouTube Addiction

#126

Post by cpsns »

amanaplanacanal wrote: post #113
BizarreByte wrote: post #107

I am seriously addicted to the internet in general and while it may not be an addiction in the physical sense, it has caused major issues in my life. The amount of time I spend on the Internet is insane and no matter how hard I try to will power through it and cut down my usage I always fail. If I ever figure out how to overcome it I'll have to write a book or something, because I've wasted years of my life and misse…

I spend way more time random surfing than I probably should. Honestly we probably are both dealing with ADHD, depression, or some sort of anxiety disorder.

I actually do have an (adult) ADHD diagnosis, though I've always been a bit sceptical of it. It seemed too easy to get and I really didn't think the testing criteria were very good.

I have wanted to try medicine to see if it helps me at all, but I've never been able to do so. My GP was willing to perscribe me something, but decided my BP was too high and that was that.

There are definitely anxiety issues at play as well, but I don't know to what degree.

Re: YouTube Addiction

#127

Post by ttul »

YouTube is addictive, as is much of what the internet has to offer. It’s hard to fight the algorithm, which is always finding new things it knows will pump the dopamine cycle.

If the internet has you so addicted that it’s wrecking your life, it’s time to see an addictions specialist. I don’t think there’s any easy trick, just as there is no easy way to quit smoking or drinking. The causes of addiction are various and it doesn’t make sense to try to figure this out yourself, just as much as you wouldn’t be well advised to fix your own cancer.

Re: YouTube Addiction

#128

Post by bobmichael »

BizarreByte wrote: post #107

I am seriously addicted to the internet in general and while it may not be an addiction in the physical sense, it has caused major issues in my life. The amount of time I spend on the Internet is insane and no matter how hard I try to will power through it and cut down my usage I always fail. If I ever figure out how to overcome it I'll have to write a book or something, because I've wasted years of my life and misse…

You can't willpower through it if it's a defense mechanism employed by your brain to hide underlying pain. Maybe it's time to try something new. Check out Gabor Maté: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=74DDEDmHDvw

Re: YouTube Addiction

#129

Post by anthomtb »

> I got into self-help and meditation

I know it can be expensive but consider a real live therapist alongside self help resources. Talking out your problems to an actual human, who is trained to listen, can provide the quantum leap needed for resolving a whole host of personal problems.

Personally, Apples screen time limits and Downtime features have been a god send for my overwatch issues on Instagram. I have most non-work apps blocked from 7:00AM to 6:00PM and a 15 minute per day limit on Instagram. Since doing that, I feel much more engaged and efficient at work and have also managed to knock out some technical reading on the Kindle app (one of the few apps that I allow myself to use at any time).

Re: YouTube Addiction

#130

Post by [deleted] »

nightski wrote: post #118
theptip wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the idea is 30 mins watching scratches the itch, 30 mins playing and you are going to play for hours more. (At least, this is how it is for me, can’t speak for the GP.)

Yeah it's all down to the individual. I used to play all the time when younger but now I play in pretty short bursts and it works fine. I just avoid any games as a service type games. The PS5 is really nice at this because you don't even have to exit the game. Just send it into rest mode and when you come back your game is still running ready to pick up where you left off. For me it's a lot more satisfying than watch…

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