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My youtube addiction

Discussion in 'Self Improvement' started by obi64, Jul 8, 2020.

  1. obi64

    obi64 Fapstronaut

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    Im a youtube addict. I'd watch it the whole day on my phone starting from the morning till i go sleep. And that's how it went day after day after day. And i knew i should stop but i just couldn't

    And then one day a thought hit me: delete youtube. And thats exactly what i did. I deleted it off my phone(well not exactly delete. it was a factory app so it couldn't be deleted. But i uninstalled updates and pressed disable)

    Ever since then my addiction has gone down substantially. I think it was kind of symbolic for me to delete it because it placed the idea in my head i can stop. I still use YouTube once in awhile but in moderation.There are other phones in the house. Like i dont do it in the morning and thats what helps the most. Because starting a day with youtube just murders my productivity for the rest of the day because once i start i keep going the whole day. So my first objective is dont use it during the morning and if possible not using it during the day. Also a rule ive made for myself is no youtube while eating.

    What I've realised now is that there were many times when i thought "i should stop now" and i did.

    This was still recently so i doubt ive squashed the addiction but i think ive taken a good step in defeating my habit.
     
    Last edited: Jul 8, 2020
    Starman123, fishfoody, tss13 and 2 others like this.
  2. L3t'sG0

    L3t'sG0 Fapstronaut

    Just not watching youtube is enough to start defeating the youtube addiction.

    If you think you completed your goals, try another one. Soon (but honestly not that soon), you'll have too many goals finished to count.

    You're on the right track kid. I'm proud of you.
     
    PeterGrip, Starman123 and obi64 like this.
  3. obi64

    obi64 Fapstronaut

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    Thanks. I appreciate it
     
    Starman123 likes this.
  4. Hi OB,
    I'm taking you at you word when you use the term 'addiction.' Therefore there can't be moderation only abstention. This applies to all addictions.
    The fact we are on this website means we are all addicts! If we manage to overcome our PMO habits we will still be addicts. It may be to another practice or substance. But, the propensity towards compulsive behaviour is always present.
    I'm afraid that's just the way it is! If YouTube is affecting your ability, to live productively, then you can't compromise. You have to give it up completely and treat it like the compulsion it is. No half measures will suffice.
    Take care my friend and good luck.
     
    Starman123 likes this.
  5. obi64

    obi64 Fapstronaut

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    Thanks for the feedback. What you are saying is true. And in some way or another i have been thinking about quitting youtube completely. But I'm running into a road block: i learn a lot of things from YouTube. Things i wouldnt have learnt otherwise. Sometimes just news and just interesting stuff.

    And that's what bothers me. If i quit youtube im gonna stop learning those new things or just keeping up with the what's going on in the world.

    I have been looking for alternatives. But i havent found something that fills that gap yet and ofcourse im open to suggestions.

    Problem is i have to deal with the next issue: i have wayy too much free time now and i need to start filling it somehow.

    This is also because pmo can also be a problem if you have nothing to do. And so that's a big issue that i need to deal with now
     
    Last edited: Jul 8, 2020
    Starman123 and Dexter Moran like this.
  6. Also YT addict. Very difficult.
     
    Starman123 likes this.
  7. The popular apps (YouTube,Facebook,Instagram,Twitter etc.) were specially designed to be addictive. It's not your fault, because they use a ton of tiny psychological tricks to keep you hooked, tricks you couldn't even imagine. Everything from the colors they use in the design to the functionality of the interface was made so that you spend countless hours without realizing how much time has passed. Ironically I suggest watching a video from Vox called "Phones are designed to be addictive.", but don't if you consider that will bring you back into the problem.

    Your brain cannot compete with what theese guys do, no brain can. So if this is a problem, uninstalling the apps and making YT as difficult to access as possible is THE ONLY solution. I speak from experience, since I tried to give up many times and it did not work. After a year of attempts(and other problems) I finally managed to abandon it for a couple of months. I fell back into the trap two weeks ago, I honestly felt like a zombie. Stay strong brother.
     
    Starman123 likes this.
  8. Di.Do.555

    Di.Do.555 Fapstronaut

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    What are you escaping from?
     
    Starman123 likes this.
  9. Hi Obi,
    many years ago, when I was a young boy, my family had a set of encyclopedia. 'Virtues Treasury of Knowledge' or something quite similar was the name of the set. Much of my early knowledge, of the World outside my parent's house, was derived from this source.
    I loved these encyclopedia's immensely. Many a wet afternoon was spent perusing the knowledge they contained. As a small boy this was of great benefit. But problems arose when I tried to use them for specific research.
    For example if I had a school project about France. The assignment was to be a 300 word general essay about France. We were meant to give an outline of its geography, history and people. I would start out with good intentions.

    These intentions would be to gain knowledge pertinent to my assignment. My primary objective was to write the best essay I could in a timely
    fashion. But that never happened! I would get side tracked regardless of the topic I was researching.

    Staying with the example of my essay on France the following scenario would play out.I would return from school at 3.30 pm. I would eat dinner then perform my chores. At around 6 PM I would begin my assignment. My plan was to read the encyclopedia's entry under 'France.' I would also consult any books or news items concerning France that I could find.

    But when reading the 'France' encyclopedia entry I would come across references to Joan of Arc, Louis XIV, Napoleon and other famous French people. I would become fascinated by these larger than life characters. Invariably I would seek out and read the individual entries pertaining to them. Completely forgetting about the task at hand in the process.

    Before I knew it 11PM would chime on our Grandfather Clock. I would realise that I only had a short time to complete my assignment. This I would do in a rushed and haphazard fashion. I would then hand in a substandard piece the next day. Vastly inferior to what I had intended to write. I would sometimes get a passmark or just as often an 'F.' All because of aimless curiosity and indiscipline on my part.

    I hope, I have not tested your patience too much Obi. Please believe me when I say it is not sentimental nostaglia that I have indulged in above. On the contrary, it is for purely practical reasons that I have related the preceding account.Frankly your YouTube addiction has many similarities to my inept essay research and writing.You go on YouTube with the aim of expanding your knowledge.
    Yet the easy access to uploaded videos derails your honourable intentions. There is an inestimable amount of such videos to view. With ones relating to every conceivable subject. Combine this with too much free time and it is no wonder that you are stuck.Sadly all this can apply to PMO addiction also. The internet, which of course YouTube utilises, is a Stealth Bomber!

    It sneaks into our consciousness and delivers its payload. This 'payload' is images and scenes we would not otherwise encounter. We can view pictures and footage of the World's most beautiful women. We then fap to this stimuli. Some part of us believes that the object of our lust loves us. Which in my opinion is the Satanic aspect of porn.

    We can also view every type of depravity online. Material we once recoiled from becomes necessary in order for us to ejaculate. Such levels of debauchery are not readily available on YouTube. But they are easily obtained online nonetheless.
    For now, Obi, you must abstain from YouTube completely. Seek out ink printed sources of information instead. Could you go to a public library if you need to go online? This would force you to engage with real people. It might reduce or eliminate mindless internet browsing on your part!
    I will finish with that suggestion Obi.
    Hopefully you or other Fapstronaut have not found me too long winded.
    Take care my friend and good luck!
     
    Last edited: Jul 9, 2020
  10. tss13

    tss13 New Fapstronaut

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    hey bro,
    I am also having the same problem as yours. I installed an app called ' stay focused' . It helped me a lot. It has many options to block apps, sites, number of times you unlock, time for which you can abstrain from youtube or any other porn site, etc.
    It is has also got a feature in which you can block keyword while seaching internet ( porn sex fuck hot nude for me)
    Hope this will help you
     
    Last edited: Jul 9, 2020
  11. obi64

    obi64 Fapstronaut

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    Hey. Thanks alot for your suggestion. I'll look into it. Blocking keywords would actually be really useful for me in fighting pmo
     
  12. obi64

    obi64 Fapstronaut

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    That's actually a very accurate way of saying it. A "zombie". Yeah that's how it feels going from video after video after video. Hopefully we both can put these addictions behind us and move forward
     
    Dexter Moran likes this.
  13. obi64

    obi64 Fapstronaut

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    Hey. Thanks for your feedback. And yeah it was kind of long but you had something important to say.

    Im honored that you think i go to youtube with the aim to increase my knowledge but the truth is i mostly go there for entertainment and then sometimes for something useful. I just happen to learn things along the way that catch my eye.

    I will consider what you've said my decision on what to do with youtube.
     
    Last edited: Jul 9, 2020
  14. ThePeakWae

    ThePeakWae Fapstronaut

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    Well done, never watch youtube on the phone, it´s poison, you can find extensions for your computer browser to limit it, I suggest you do that, if you havent already.
     
  15. fishfoody

    fishfoody Fapstronaut

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    it's not you Youtube is designed to be addictive and Google business models is making sure people stick on their platforms a.k.a Youtube, Gmail, Drive, etc.

    Watch this to understand
    https://yewtu.be/watch?v=NUMa0QkPzns .
    They designed video recommendations on youtube to be as addictive as possible. hence the youtube addiction


    I know so well that Youtube got many people hooked and I was no exception. After watching The Social Dilemma Documentary I deleted all apps and even browsers out of my phone. I only left whatsapp because my work needs this app to survive..
    Quitting youtube is so hard for some people and I am no exception. The tricks I did was watching it via http://yewtu.be front end website because it is less addictive and it doesn't profile you and mine your data
     
  16. fishfoody

    fishfoody Fapstronaut

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    use one of many invidious instances to make youtube look less addictive
     
  17. Starman123

    Starman123 Fapstronaut

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    Can relate. Anything in excess is poison ~ Theodore levitt. And this is especially true if that thing is designed to get yourself addicted, like youtube.
    Youtube was partly a reason for my latest relapse. I hope we can overcome this.
     
  18. Starman123

    Starman123 Fapstronaut

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    True. I use it for education as well, and so it's inevitable for me not to use youtube completely.
     
  19. Max666

    Max666 Fapstronaut

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    I mostly visit youtube for the Trump videos. I like to watch his speeches and it's good to see how the US campaigns are going from Australia, I guess it makes me feel connected to the world. Maybe you watch youtube for the same reason, maybe we all do. I notice I've done it more and more since I broke up with my girlfriend so maybe it is the lack of connection thing. What happened in your life before you started watching youtube all the time?
    End of the day, it doesn't matter if you use it to supplement for something else, as long as it doesn't prevent you from doing other things that are important. It can suck up time but another way to look at it is it can also shape character or educate you, depending on what the content is. Youtube is filled with knowledge, the TV is filled with junk, even the news, on free to air is all left wing trash.
     

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