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YouTube addiction, one month sober

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Re: YouTube addiction, one month sober

#221

Post by npteljes »

cynicalsecurity wrote: post #210
jjulius wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

YouTube designs itself to keep users (a word often used for addicts) glued (read, "engaged") to the platform. It is built to draw people in and keep them there, thereby encouraging addictive behaviors. It is absolutely a problem with YouTube.

Damn that candy store on the street corner. They deliberately put candy on the shelves, can you imagine it! So you would want to buy more! What a bunch of rascals. And don't even get me started on the fast food... It's not my fault.

Partial responsibility is a hard thing, it's way easier to blame just one of the parties, but the fact is that both give, and take, and are in a not 100% healthy relationship. The algorithms optimize soullessly for engagement, because what else should they do, hurt the business? Meanwhile, people struggle with willpower, but they themselves are the only ones who can actually do anything about it. Preying on weaknesses is morally reprehensible though, well, maybe not according to machiavellianist people, but still. We regulate subjects of addictive behavior all around the world, realizing that population-wise, it's not the most sustainable ideas.

Re: YouTube addiction, one month sober

#223

Post by npteljes »

phone8675309 wrote: post #165
asciimov wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I wonder if we just started talking to each other less as well. We have. Sadly people aren't allowed to be bored long enough to decide that they should see what other people are up to. It used to be common to call or even drop by unannounced to check on people. Doing these things is now seen as some great sin. It's like we are all eating plain ramen every day, and aren't getting our vitamins. Sure we are full but w…

> It used to be common to call or even drop by unannounced to check on people. This has been considered rude at least since my parents were kids in the 1950s. I would imagine it was a lot more common before the telephone at home was widespread, but I've always found turning up unannounced to be rude.

Very much dependent on culture, relationships and individuals, but I hate it myself as well. I even hate it when my phone rings unannounced.

Re: YouTube addiction, one month sober

#224

Post by amarant »

Almondsetat wrote: post #125
amarant wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This might be controversial, but I've found that micro-dosing psilocybin removes the urge of such distractions, and allows me to focus on what needs to be done. I've been told I might have undiagnosed ADHD tho, not sure if relevant. Anyway, YMMV, but it could be worth a shot! Probably a good idea to combine with exercise and/or mindfulness exercises.

And what happens when you don't have access to the drug?

So far it seems some of the positive effects are permanent, or at least long term. If I go without, I'm still better off than I was before I tried the first time, but not quite as good as I am with. I have not yet noticed any adverse side effects (aside from euforia and some sleep issues when I was still figuring what a good dosage was and had a dose that perhaps wasn't so micro)

I'm still kinda new to this whole thing, so I'm probably the wrong person to ask. But from my experiments so far it seems going without shrooms isn't a problem.

A quick googling suggests there is no physical addiction associated with psilocybin, so I guess I'm not the first to reach that conclusion.

Re: YouTube addiction, one month sober

#225

Post by phone8675309 »

xetplan wrote: post #219
phone8675309 wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It used to be common to call or even drop by unannounced to check on people. This has been considered rude at least since my parents were kids in the 1950s. I would imagine it was a lot more common before the telephone at home was widespread, but I've always found turning up unannounced to be rude.

No, this is just completely wrong and ridiculous. People did this all the time until txting was common. Once txt was common there was no reason to just drop by someone's place randomly without giving them a heads up.

What makes your lived experience more correct than the lived experience of my grandparents and parents who lived in the time?

Once the telephone was popular in the US this was something that people in our circle just stopped doing. All it took was a 30 second phone call to say "hey, can if I head over if you're not busy?" (and the answer was almost always yes, I'll agree that is likely different than today) to make sure, so that was considered the polite thing to do in our working class semi-rural midwest circle.

If you're living truly in a rural area where you're sharing a party line with others and the nearest place is over a mile away then yes, I'll concede, that was probably much more normal.

Re: YouTube addiction, one month sober

#226

Post by webdoodle »

stevage wrote: post #192
webdoodle wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've seen the opposite. I drastically reduced my smartphone and online time a couple years before Covid, but completely ditched my phone at the end of 2019. It took a few years before I met anyone with my level of dedication, but now I meet them every few months. Most are tech or ex-tech employees, but some are just closer to retirement.

You literally have no phone? Amazing. I'm full of questions, like how do you socialise with people who expect to be able to change plans at the last minute?

Socializing isn't high on my priority list, and most of it is planned a week ahead of time. I try to check my email once a day, but that's not always an option. If they don't show, I don't give them grief, and don't sweat it. My commitment to being phone free means I have to accept that some people just won't go to the extra effort it takes to keep in touch.

The folks that really burn my biscuits are the ones that are incredulous I'm not on Facebook. If after telling them exactly why they shouldn't be on Facebook (Cambridge Analytica and the Trump/Johnson psyops), if they still don't get it, I generally avoid them.

Re: YouTube addiction, one month sober

#227

Post by theADHDfounder »

P_I_Staker wrote: post #181
Aurornis wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> YMMV. Very glad you found something that helped, but this is a good place to warn people that everyone is different. In some people, stimulant treatment can actually kindle problematic behaviors like the one you escaped. For some, they enhance focus but that results in more focusing on the hobbies, distractions, and side projects. I bring this up because while ADHD medication is great for some, there's a growing pr…

It has become increasingly clear to me is the dangerous under-prescription of ADHD medication is the real problem, and we need to stop with this propaganda.

Great job! How did accomplish it?

Re: YouTube addiction, one month sober

#228

Post by brewdad »

ryandrake wrote: post #156
themagician wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Social media is no longer just some activity you do. For many, it has become a way of life. Their income and livelihood relies on it. Many children growing up today aspire to be popular on social media. What happens on social media has become part of their core identity. It will only accelerate from here.

> Many children growing up today aspire to be popular on social media. What happens on social media has become part of their core identity. They'll probably grow out of it. Half my high school class thought they were going to be major league baseball players or NFL players when they grew up. Now they're accountants and HVAC installers.

There is a brief window in time where one can possibly play professional football or baseball. If you haven't made it by 30, the dream is over.

Social media has no such limitations. Certain segments favor the young but there are plenty of middle aged and a few older Youtubers making bank. I could certainly see some people holding onto the dream for far too long hoping for a break. A very few might even get it.

Re: YouTube addiction, one month sober

#229

Post by AbstractH24 »

data_ders wrote: post #11

I’m so addicted to the internet that when I block social media, I find I get quite the similar fix from work Slack. Like browsing channels I have no business being a part of and constantly checking for validation of my comments via emoji reactions. Does anyone know of ways to be a successful work-from-home knowledge worker while also locking down Slack to not be another slot machine?? Does anyone else feel conflicted…

> meta P.S. I’m refreshing this and reading the replies — what a rush! So much more rewarding than what I should be doing. :)

I always find a bit of humor in discussions such as these on social media.

Glad you acknowledge it.

Re: YouTube addiction, one month sober

#230

Post by AbstractH24 »

JohnBooty wrote: post #164
data_ders wrote: post #11

I’m so addicted to the internet that when I block social media, I find I get quite the similar fix from work Slack. Like browsing channels I have no business being a part of and constantly checking for validation of my comments via emoji reactions. Does anyone know of ways to be a successful work-from-home knowledge worker while also locking down Slack to not be another slot machine?? Does anyone else feel conflicted…

Does anyone else feel conflicted about the internet as both a means to a comfortable/lucretive career but also the ultimate drug? yeah. it's like, hey, the only thing i'm good at (software engineering) is intimately tied to an always-on connection to an infinite distraction machine i mean obviously i mitigate it as much as possible (blocking sites, etc) but daaaaaaaamn. what a fundamentally tricky tension.

It's interesting; I'd never say that about chefs or folks in the restaurant industry.

Plenty of other unhealthy habits in that line of work, don't get me wrong. But little association between the pleasures of food and making the food.

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