How to completely ignore youtube addiction and social media addiction??

Social media isn't ruining your life. You are ruining your life.

 

I find this a difficult topic. Try to use these tools wisely. And with consciousness. I tried to delete the FB and IG App from my phone. For some days it was a relieve. Then I understood, I need these for my work, so I started to use them but completely cautious. If I find myself again wasting time, I will back off again and take a distance.

 

Block YouTube via your ISP or your router. Alternatively download Kaspersky SafeKids and block it from there. Enter a very-difficult password for it so you'll remember why you actually blocked it. Type the password and use it if you have to do something for your studies etc.

Best wishes. Victory will be ours!

 

Here's the deal: at the end of the day, you can't ever really block your own access to these things. There's ways around and if you want to, you'll find them. That, or you'll just find something else to waste vast amounts of time on.

I use youtube all the time, mostly for music and listening to podcasts while I'm working on other things, so it's not really a big deal for me. However, my issue was with dating apps / sites. Constantly swiping, checking messages, looking for new people. From a brain point of view, it's all the same. Getting those dopamine hits! Dopamine is the stuff that makes you search for novelty -- similar to why porn tends to be so addictive. Since we're trying to reset here, part of that is fixing the constant dopamine hits and such. I had to stop with the online dating in order to achieve a real brain rest. For me, it's a problem. That said, I nuked all my other social media too.

tl:dr, youtube and social media is ramming your brain full of dopamine. If you want a real reset, you have to stop.

 

If you really want to kick the habit you'll make the sacrifice. Get a phone with no internet access.

 

@diesel2256, thanks for that explanation was great in clarifying the issue. I can personally relate to wasting time searching for all weird kinds of novelty pictures and always see to get sucked into looking up something as 'curiosity'. Would you then advise stopping use of youtube, Instagram and all social medias to effectively begin recovery? If so for how long would you advise, as has been mentioned previously, can be impossible to block permanently.

 

I guess it depends on a number of factors. Are you using any of these things for legitimate purposes? I was on insta for a while -- that was just a massive waste of time. All the insta thots really made that place difficult in general, not to mention generally stoking feelings of "man, why am I not doing this well and having all these toys..." So unless you have some kind of monkey making business on there, just nuke it.

I perma deleted my FB over a year ago. Haven't missed it at all. However, I probably am going to set a new one up for the sole purpose of following car related events. Unfortunately, there's no other way to stay up with the meets and such. If it starts moving into a time waster, I'll just nuke it again.

Youtube is more difficult, at least to me. I'm currently streaming a presentation from Stefan Molyneux (highly recommend if you're into philosophy that has realistic applications, tons of red pills and very solid information).

Probably the best way to go about Youtube is if you go on there, go with a mission and stick to that mission. "I want to learn about x." Find x, learn about x, then close it down. These websites tend to suck us in by just throwing more garbage at us that we didn't even care about in the first place. If you can't do that, take a week off and test yourself again. Every time you fail and binge, take another week.

 

@diesel2256, I had been using Instagram as a mode of communication as it was my only social media I had and was also good for keeping up to date with people I hadn't seen for a while.

As for Youtube, the other troublesome online site, for the most part it is mostly for wasting time but I do use it on the occasion to learn about a place I would like to travel to or a snapshot of a topic, but mores the former.

Youtube and all other sites (Pinterest, Tumblr, reddit) that I access primarily from the computer that have proven difficult while recovering I have blocked and Instagram on my phone on a 10 minute time restriction.

In my recovery so far I have opted, as you advised, to completely avoid it at least initially until I feel I can navigate these with an element of restraint and discipline.

Another problem is I have my friends nagging me to download snapchat and Facebook which I can imagine will only create more problems.

 

I've recently watched a video about this whole idea.
I think moderation is key, and I also agree to what alamaniac said.

You should try what he said, because after a while you'll be able to acknowledge social media should be used as a tool, not to consider it as an indisposable thing. Therefore you'll be able to live healthier and better.

 

You can have mp3s on the phone. Check your email on a public computer.

 

Practice saying "NO" everytime you know something is up about the video then close it, do something else or just focus on your breathing through your nose only and slowly... increase your self awareness... learn to medidate atleast 5 minutes a day...

 

Have an escape word. Mine is "potato".

 

I'm about to go to work, so I'm skipping a ton of posts.

But I'll say this; I finally ditched IG and youtube when I pretty much hit rock bottom with that shit. What it took was just a feeling of complete disgust with it all and wanting to be free of it. I also had to come to grips that I was addicted not only to the pictures, but interacting with the personalities and "models" on there.

It just took me getting to the point of loathing where I was at. It was actually a similar thing for me an alcohol. Hit rock bottom and realized things needed to change.

 

I barely use social media these days and those I do use are on strict time limits. For me it was one of my triggers and I have found by removing that initial spark of a relapse I have found my journey so much easier now!

Unfortunately we live in a world where it for most people their lives revolve around constantly needing to keep up with trends and celebrities. I have found that too much dependence on tech really does take away the love of some of the simpler things of life such as reading a book or even just going for a walk.

We live in a fear of missing out society but with patience and time you can live without it. Ignorance is bliss!

So keep going brother you can do it!!

 

this is the best advice I could ever have. Thank you, and Potato.