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YouTube Addiction

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Re: YouTube Addiction

#181

Post by cpsns »

iokanuon wrote: post #166
cpsns wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not the GP, so I don't get to make that call. If they say no that's the end of the story. It's frustrating, but ultimatly just how it is. There's no possibility of a second opinion either because I'm really damn lucky to even have access to a GP, the waiting list for one is ~3-4 years long right now if you don't already have one.

That's crazy. Where do you live? In Poland I just skipped the insurance system to get ADHD meds and went to a psychiatrist specialising in ADHD privately - $70 for a 20 minute visit seems a bit steep but it's better than waiting years. Could you possibly do something similar?

No, that's impossible. I live in a Canadian province where the provincial healthcare situation is very, very bad.

There are no private doctors and private psychiatrists are not legally allowed to perscribe. ADHD medication is controlled so only NPs, GPs, and (I think) psychologists are permitted to write a script for it.

Basically there are no options for me except the ones I have already taken, short of moving to a different province thousands of kilometers away.

Re: YouTube Addiction

#182

Post by rafaelero »

_gabe_ wrote: post #120
ryandrake wrote: post #64

People are (and should be) questioning the use of the word addiction. One of the components of addiction is: is it causing a harmful, unwanted effect on one's life? OP laid out his: > I've been struggling with my mental health during the summertime, a time I traditionally have fewer problems. I wasn't recharging like I should. I was waking up tired, napping during the day, and generally not feeling at all prepared wh…

> People are (and should be) questioning the use of the word addiction. One of the components of addiction is: is it causing a harmful, unwanted effect on one's life? Meriam Webster's second definition doesn't mention causing harm: > a strong inclination to do, use, or indulge in something repeatedly So, according to the way people typically use the word "addiction" and the literal dictionary definition of the word,…

Terrible definition. Is sex an addiction then?

Re: YouTube Addiction

#183

Post by jdthedisciple »

SoftTalker wrote: post #163

I fall asleep to YouTube -- not watching, I just put on a boring documentary with a monotone narrator, just loud enough that I can hear the voice. I don't even really discern the words. And it distracts my brain from whatever else I'd be thinking about and I fall asleep more easily. Not sure why this is, I guess it's like having someone read a bedtime story to a kid. I have a premium account so there are no ads.

Pro tip: uBlock origin - no ads for no cost :)

Re: YouTube Addiction

#184

Post by grecy »

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 know I tend towards it as well, so I've done a few things over the years.

Like a recovering alcoholic, you need to just stop going into bars - the temptation is too strong.

1. Don't have a phone with data. It's just too convenient to scroll for 3 hours lying in bed.

2. Don't have wifi at home, at all.

Less internet in your life means you'll spend less time on the internet.

Re: YouTube Addiction

#185

Post by cpsns »

sysadm1n wrote: post #178
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 am seriously addicted to the internet 'Addiction' depends on circumstances. If you're lucky enough to be able to spend copious amounts of time online, good for you. I know for me, I don't have that opportunity. There's too much other stuff hampering my ability to get online like kids, marriage, chores, other hobbies, work, etc

> If you're lucky enough to be able to spend copious amounts of time online, good for you.

I am not the lucky one, you are. My life is a sick joke, meanwhile you by all traditional measures have it made if you have all that.

If I didn't have my job I'd have literally nothing going for me. When I say this has cost me oppertunites I don't mean small ones, I mean even things like potential relationships. Everything has always come second to this issue.

Re: YouTube Addiction

#186

Post by donutpepperoni »

bobmichael wrote: post #138
starbugs wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I believe that’s good advice, I find it hard to ignore the irony here.

Don't ignore it. Laugh about it! It wasn't lost on me writing the comment either. Isn't it great that the very thing that brings us pain can also be the vehicle for our healing?

I agree here. I think the key for me was to redefine the relationship and not break it off cold turkey. I find it interesting that the OP mentioned a push notification is what brought them back into the addiction.

I also think it's important to remember some of these sites have been designed with the explicit intention of being addictive. Didn't some of the biggest sites hire behavioral psychologists to help design products that get people hooked?[1] I'm not surprised to hear that folks are feeling this way and I think it's an entirely valid and legitimate feeling to be addicted to Youtube and the Internet.

The internet has been life changing for me and I can easily say I have been addicted to it before. As an autistic person who has a lot of sensory issues, the computer has provided a super safe and easy way to explore the world. But it's been easy to get too attached and not want to do anything that I need to IRL.

In early December I disabled all notifications on my phone and set a schedule to check my phone twice a day. I've found that I've been way happier as a result and not getting stuck in internet holes. I see push notifications as a net negative on my mental health and I think I'll keep them off long term.

May we all find a healthy balance that works for us.

1. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/22668729-hooked

Re: YouTube Addiction

#187

Post by piyh »

wardedVibe wrote: post #175
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 find things like leechblock[0] useful. In general, will power is a poor substitute for designing your environment. It's a limited resource that should only be used to start developing habits. [0] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/leechblock-ng...

10 minutes of problem sites every 4 hours with immediate tab closing is the magic setup for me.

Re: YouTube Addiction

#188

Post by criley2 »

jdthedisciple wrote: post #183
SoftTalker wrote: post #163

I fall asleep to YouTube -- not watching, I just put on a boring documentary with a monotone narrator, just loud enough that I can hear the voice. I don't even really discern the words. And it distracts my brain from whatever else I'd be thinking about and I fall asleep more easily. Not sure why this is, I guess it's like having someone read a bedtime story to a kid. I have a premium account so there are no ads.

Pro tip: uBlock origin - no ads for no cost :)

Pro pro tip: Creating content on the internet is not free and if a creator says you can watch their video in exchange for watching ads OR paying for premium, if you care about those creators you'll honor that request.

Re: YouTube Addiction

#189

Post by piyh »

vibrolax wrote: post #38

I occasionally watch "let's play" videos as a harm reduced alternative to actually playing games. A half hour spent watching someone play a game/sim totally relieves my FOMO. It also dissipates my urge to build a gaming PC. As a maker and musician, there's tons of inspiring and informative content on YT. I feel that I'm quite net positive on my use of YT to enrich my life.

Watching twitch increased my game playing and urges to play

Re: YouTube Addiction

#190

Post by moffkalast »

smoldesu wrote: post #92
vibrolax wrote: post #38

I occasionally watch "let's play" videos as a harm reduced alternative to actually playing games. A half hour spent watching someone play a game/sim totally relieves my FOMO. It also dissipates my urge to build a gaming PC. As a maker and musician, there's tons of inspiring and informative content on YT. I feel that I'm quite net positive on my use of YT to enrich my life.

> 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.

One of these doesn't empty your wallet in the process. As a recent example, Stray costs $30 for 4 hours and no replay value, you bet your ass I watched that on youtube. It's even 2-3x worse in the console domain, especially for any AAA title.
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