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YouTube Addiction

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Re: YouTube Addiction

#91

Post by thenerdhead »

I like that this author called out YouTube as a specific type of addiction. It seems their main way of combatting the consuming side of their addiction is by creating.

I spent the last year writing a book about technology addiction. Through that process, it has helped me find better ways to fill my days and moderate how much time I spend on devices. There's also a good book called "Stolen Focus" that outlines a number of these challenges of quitting.

The main way I found to combat addiction was to change the consumer mindset to one of creation. Create something everyday no matter how shitty it is. Share it with the world when you're ready. While in that process of creating, find ways to block the outside world from invading your creativity so you can stay focused.

Re: YouTube Addiction

#92

Post by smoldesu »

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.

Re: YouTube Addiction

#93

Post by sfled »

knaik94 wrote: post #10

This is a very dramatic framing. A much more resonable explanation is that YouTube was being used as an escape. 10K Subs is an accomplishment, a real community. The less talked about half of parasocial relationships is the one that goes the other way, where people feel validation from the likes and views they get. Generally, taking a break from an escape means you face the real issues you have been avoiding and ignor…

I'll usually leave one of those 8- or 10-hour "soft waves on an island beach" clips playing in the BG. Nice alternative if the view out the window is snow, lol.

If I want a little emo-boost for ADHD I'll just watch a few clips on Jessica's channel: https://www.youtube.com/@HowtoADHD

Otherwise (for me) YT is a resource for guides on taking apart old laptops and other how-tos, along with the occasional movie on the kitchen tablet, while prepping a meal or washing up.

Re: YouTube Addiction

#94

Post by guate_l33 »

greenpeas wrote: post #67
extasia wrote: post #46

Changing my phone to black and white mode helped, I was previously watching 3+hrs of yt a day as was OP. Also making a mental note of how long you spend helps, even if you don't have the willpower to stop then and there. Over time You keep making that same note and eventually build up the fortitude to modify your behaviour / fight your addiction. Good luck to you all.

I did the same thing, I put my phone in Grayscale mode. It seems to help. It's incredible how much more enticing the colored versions of the thumbnails for shorts and videos are. The Grayscale also works as a reminder that I need to pay attention to my Youtube consumption. However I imagine that I'll have to find a way to temporarily disable Grayscale for taking pictures and some other tasks. Regarding the shorts, I…

[flagged]

Re: YouTube Addiction

#95

Post by cpsns »

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…

Same nonsense on Facebook. It’s all payday loans, crypto scams, and magic mushrooms.

People say it’s based on your history, but I don’t buy that as none of what it shows me is even slightly relevant. It just seems like they don’t have enough relevant ads to show, so they throw shit at the wall.

Re: YouTube Addiction

#96

Post by MobiusHorizons »

I struggle with wasting large swathes of time on YouTube. I think I would call it an addiction, although I’m sure not everyone would agree. The harmful effects I see are that I don’t feel I enjoy the content after a certain point, but I find myself unable to stop and do something else. I also often find YouTube content is not restful. Hard to pin down exactly why, but it feels too fast paced or too stimulating. I feel the same way about most recent shows as well.

Every year during lent my friend and I do a media fast, where we abstain from YouTube, Reddit, HN, and other escape sites. It is a supremely rewarding experience, but I always go back.

Re: YouTube Addiction

#97

Post by c7b »

The intro feels like it's also from around 2011, the time OP described first noticing having a problem. In 2023, I think few people will doubt that you can get addiction-like problems with social media. It's actually become such a common trope, especially post-lockdowns, that I've read some arguments trying to rein in the debate a bit (not everything that releases dopamine will get you hooked, it basically just means that it's pleasant). Psychiatrically, I think the only behavioral addiction recognized in DSM-5 is still gambling. But that may change of course, and I think many of us have noticed that social media use can get troublesome.

To the OP or anyone experiencing similar issues, one strategy that has some evidence behind it is pre-commitment: make a conscious decision to limit or stop your use of whatever is causing you troubles, and take concrete steps to lock yourself into that commitment. In the case of websites, that could mean using browser extensions that block access to a certain site or block them after a specified use time (if the latter exists, not sure). For smartphone apps, I think modern OS include some tools with similar intentions, but you could also just uninstall them. Of course, you could circumnavigate the block, but often that one extra step can be enough to remind you of why you made the commitment and help you stick to it.

Re: YouTube Addiction

#98

Post by cl3misch »

> It's scary to think about having a hole and not being able to fill it with that comfortable "zoning out" feeling.

That is exactly my experience. I've also rather recently came to the revelation that this behavior and dependence on "zoning out" is addiction. It doesn't matter that the object of addiction is a website with silly popular videos. The pattern of behavior _is_ addiction.

Re: YouTube Addiction

#99

Post by Octabrain »

suzumer wrote: post #8

I used to be addicted to youtube, and the most effective method I found to limiting my consumption was using an extension called Unhook. It removes all recommendations and the shorts and trending tabs, so the only videos I can watch are those from channels I'm subscribed to, or videos that I search for.

After reading your comment, I went straight to install the extension. Thank you so much!

Re: YouTube Addiction

#100

Post by halkony »

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…

On this topic, what do people recommend for mobile adblocking? I've been using AdAway which redirects ads to your phone's loopback in non-root mode.
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