How to break a YouTube habit

[Michal__]

You should decrease time spent on YT gradually.

While watching YT ask yourself why are you doing it. You can use short answers, but they have to be genuine. 

[MrWolf]

On 01/12/2020 at 9:53 PM, PurpleTree said:

otamot?

 Exactly. 

[lmfao]

@trenton there's a good website/app called "Freedom" which allows you to manage what websites and programs you want blocked on your PC. You have to pay for it, but I've found it worth it. 

It let's you manage what apps you want blocked on your phone (Google chrome being an app) , but you can't block specific websites the same way. 

If you want to make the blocking as irreversible as possible for the time period you've picked on your phone, block access to Google Playstore and block access to Settings

 

[trenton]

I deleted a bunch of the history recommendations to serve as a reminder every time I get in the computer.  What is coming up now is that I need an alternative activity aside from YouTube.

My alternatives are reading, writing, meditation, job hunting, college research, and other helpful things I avoid.  I am about to try doing more of these things in place of YouTube.  My progress has been slowed significantly.

[Rigel]

There's a bunch of plugins that can hide the "suggestion section". So you can still search for something if you want to but there won't be recommendations after that. I use "#blockit" on mac.

You can also block the entire site if you dare going through withdrawals(probably)

Then you'll have a lot of undistracted time which is kinda great. One trap would be to fill it right up with another addiction!

[nistake]

As others have said, blocking the recommended section on Youtube can be a really good start. I just did that a few days ago. I try to eliminate the entertainment aspect of it completely.

[Michal__]

Watch this. My takeaway from this video is that you basically take 2 - 4 week break where you give up whatever you are addicted to completely and then you use it once in a while. 

After the break you can still use YT for entertainment, but only once a few days let's say.

https://youtu.be/oRwmrFoTGMk

 

Edited December 3, 2020 by Michal__

[MrWolf]

Thats a lot of good advices to take control of the situation. But if you dont change the root it will just shift onto another compulsion. Then ok on can live on willpower/fighting rest of ones life. And are you gonna live in the woods to not be tempted by objects of desire? The only way out is awareness. Put you temptation right in front of you and look at it! Maybe read Allen Carr's Easy Way to Quit Smoking Without Willpower. And replace the cigarette with YT 

Edited December 3, 2020 by MrWolf