Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

YouTube Addiction

jntrnr.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

221–230 of 417 posts

Re: YouTube Addiction

#221

Post by SunlightEdge »

greenpeas wrote: post #68
SunlightEdge wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For addictions I've wanted to get rid of I have: 1. Keep a spreadsheet of the hours I have spent on the activity, or 2. Kept a running log of how many days I have not done the activity - goal is usually 28 days

It seems like you've worked out a system. How many addictions/unwanted behaviors did you manage to eradicate this way?

It helped me get off social media, and computer game addiction and a news site I didn't want to follow. I've used it successfully for alcohol too (but I was never a huge drinker). I also used it to try and promote good behaviours too

Re: YouTube Addiction

#222

Post by nostromo »

unsupp0rted wrote: post #217
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'm addicted to the internet the way I'm addicted to electricity. It powers my quality of life: I don't feel any shame about it. Wanting and expecting to use electricity and being reliant on having it available to me doesn't make me pathetic (although arguably it does make me weak).

Good, people need to stop feeling bad about not always being productive.

Re: YouTube Addiction

#223

Post by deepzn »

I use YouTube for technical videos, and to gain other knowledge. And find the best signal to noise there than anywhere else on the internet. Occasionally, I give in to watch sports clips, movie trailers etc which is a decent short distraction. But do try to limit it, so the algo doesn't keep recommending those.

Recently, Youtube is pushing it's "Shorts"(Short-form video) in it's own section that you cannot remove, which is as addicting as you think it is, aside from that, the signal-to-noise is really favorable for me.

Compared to Twitter, Instagram, I find a lot more value on Youtube. The others I already used blocking extensions to stop me from visiting it. As sad and extreme as that is, it's worked out rather nicely for me. I occasionally need to check something, and circumvent it by going incognito, but mostly the blocking is helping me to redirect myself, and build better restraints, and habits.

Re: YouTube Addiction

#224

Post by camdenreslink »

aswanson wrote: post #202
kjuulh wrote: post #199

I am also quite addicted to youtube, however, for now I use it a tool for relaxation, even if it sometimes is somewhat excessive. I watch YouTube as a replacement for flow tv. And I know that the moment I remove the YouTube app on my tv, I will find something else to do, right now it is a convenience and routine thing to do. Also I get quite good benefits from it, I love watching conference talks, woodworking etc, on…

Same. I also use it to fall asleep to. PBS Frontiline and Fall of Civilizations channel episodes keep me educated and catching zzzzz's most nights.

Frontline has such terrifying content! I couldn't imagine falling asleep to that. My choice would be David Attenborough narrated documentaries.

Re: YouTube Addiction

#225

Post by edgyquant »

unsupp0rted wrote: post #217
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'm addicted to the internet the way I'm addicted to electricity. It powers my quality of life: I don't feel any shame about it. Wanting and expecting to use electricity and being reliant on having it available to me doesn't make me pathetic (although arguably it does make me weak).

This is way different though. The internet is a powerful tool and we need it: forums and media are not things we need. I doubt you’re addicted to the productive spheres of the internet (although I am addicted to discovering new domains and improving my mathematical knowledge: that may be considered “productive.”)

Re: YouTube Addiction

#226

Post by wyre »

nostromo wrote: post #222
unsupp0rted wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm addicted to the internet the way I'm addicted to electricity. It powers my quality of life: I don't feel any shame about it. Wanting and expecting to use electricity and being reliant on having it available to me doesn't make me pathetic (although arguably it does make me weak).

Good, people need to stop feeling bad about not always being productive.

It’s not about being productive but about not having fulfilling activities. If the internet is fulfilling for you great, but there a point where the addiction takes away other fulfilling activities.

Re: YouTube Addiction

#227

Post by edgyquant »

nostromo wrote: post #222
unsupp0rted wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm addicted to the internet the way I'm addicted to electricity. It powers my quality of life: I don't feel any shame about it. Wanting and expecting to use electricity and being reliant on having it available to me doesn't make me pathetic (although arguably it does make me weak).

Good, people need to stop feeling bad about not always being productive.

No they don’t. It’s bad to be a workaholic sure, but the universe is an unforgiving place and we’re here only to be productive. This is a truth regardless of your metaphysical beliefs.

What people need is to make sure they’re not being overly productive at one thing while letting other things drift away.

Re: YouTube Addiction

#228

Post by metasaval »

criley2 wrote: post #188
jdthedisciple wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Ignore the dissenters, I agree. people will pay $15 for Netflix and use it once a month but won't pay $11 for YouTube that they use every day. the insistence that YouTube should be a service that just houses all of our videos for free in perpetuaty never made sense to me.

Re: YouTube Addiction

#229

Post by naasking »

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…

> and no matter how hard I try to will power through it and cut down my usage I always

You can't make it impossible to access the internet, but you can make it super inconvenient.

For instance, one thing that worked for me was blocking HN and Reddit on my router. Obviously I can get around it but the inconvenience to circumvent makes the habit feel like it's not worth the payoff. Or, it at least makes you more aware of your reflex, and the fact that you don't get the immediate reward makes it easier to break the habit loop.

Re: YouTube Addiction

#230

Post by metasaval »

Waterluvian wrote: post #26
cm2187 wrote: post #18

To cure your youtube addiction, just disable your adblocker. Works very well.

Is it just me or is Google quietly in serious distress? Ads have been getting a LOT worse very quickly. Almost every ad I saw in a day when my UBlock wasn’t working was advertising an actual fraud. Whether crypto or recession get rich quick or “aluminum is giving you cancer.” Advertising frequency is cranked way up. On mobile 5 second unskippables are 6-7 now. I’ll do a search and my ENTIRE screen is advertising unti…

nobody pays for premium so ads get worse.
Post reply on HN