Ask HN: Is there a way to break the vicious cycle of YouTube Shorts?

I've used website blockers before on Twitter. I would still go incognito to find people for updates on things but the extra two clicks def nudged me from doing it as often.

I highly recommend you stop using YouTube. It has become more addictive overtime and it will get worse. Shorts is really intense but I think YouTubes recommendations are almost just as addictive. I agree with you that some content is worth keeping tabs on. If you want to break the cycle could replacing going on the website YouTube with an RSS reader that supports subscribing to individual YouTube channels, I use feedbin but I think there are a lot of RSS readers that do this. This eliminates shorts and recommendations which really helped me.

Here are a few things you can try:

* Improve YouTube! extension - allows you to hide the addictive elements such as related videos, suggestions, comments, etc. so you don't get sucked in. [1]

* Intention - Stop Mindless Browsing extension [2]

* Turn off autoplay

* On Android: Digital Wellbeing app with focus mode [3]

* You can watch some videos at higher speeds

* Meditation can help, you can use apps such as Headspace and Calm to get started with it.

* Use Time-Block planning techniques [4]

1. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/improve-youtube-vi...

2. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/intention-stop-min...

3. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.and...

4. https://www.timeblockplanner.com/ (for inspiration, not a purchase recommendation)

Maybe there's a way to block videos with the "#shorts" tag or under a certain length?

Alternatively, subscribe to channels' RSS feeds and don't use a Youtube account at all to break the algorithm's hold on you.

Um, stop watching YouTube?

Replace "watching youtube" with "smoking meth" in your question and think about that sounds.

In the meantime, use something like quietube or invidious to play youtube videos.

I don’t think it’s YouTube, it’s the computer itself. The problem is getting on the computer with no purpose. If you’re sitting on the computer, with no direction, you will end up mesmerizing yourself with whatever you find interesting.

I think the solution is to stop sitting around on the computer/phone in the first place. If you stop using YouTube, but sit there on your phone for no reason, you’ll just end up wasting time on something else.

One option is to use a custom client like NewPipe. I'm not sure it even supports Youtube Shorts yet. If it does you might be able to customize more than the normal Youtube app.

There is another alternative. You can use the app that Youtube Shorts is copying and you'll get higher quality content in the same format.

TikTok's algorithm for discovery is the best I've ever encountered. I find all kinds of cool stuff on there. It's highly addicting like other social media. I often uninstall it from my phone when I'm not using it. But I will say that I don't find it to be an endless doom scroll like other social media. When I'm done using it I usually have a list of stuff to look up or have laughed at people making something goofy.

In any case. The privacy concerns are enough to warrant never using it. I understand why people might get mad even at the suggestion. I wish the Youtube version was better I would just use that. I've tried Youtube Shorts too and I can relate to your experience. It's somewhat addicting because it's a similar format. But you get that gross feeling when you're done like other social media. "Where did my time just go?"

Don't try TikTok then - I find it way more addictive

It's pretty bad, on my Android vivo phone you cannot even delete YouTube anymore...

For me it's a vicious cycle, where you keeping watching to find something good, and when you do that gives you the dopamine boost to keep watching more....

What helps me is recognizing that it is like an addictive substance. When you treat it with the same seriousness as drugs and alcohol, it becomes easier to manage...

On an iPhone in the YouTube app settings I was able to set up an alert that gave me a reminder every few minutes to take a break. You can customize the number of minutes. After a while with this alert I was watching a lot less YouTube and deleted the app, although I saw in one of your comments that that's not an option on Android.

I also subscribed to a few sites where I can stream video on topics I'm interested in, and now I have less reason to go on YouTube in the first place. I'm directly supporting some great individuals and organizations and learning a lot. You mentioned that you have a couple creators you really like. You could try following and supporting them directly.