My YouTube Addiction - what now?

Summary

In this video, the creator reflects on their screen time habits, particularly their heavy use of YouTube despite cutting down on other social media platforms in 2023. They discuss the realization that YouTube can be as addictive as other apps and share their experiences and strategies for reducing screen time, including setting a goal of no more than 2 hours of phone usage per day. The creator also talks about their efforts to be more intentional with the content they consume and seeks audience input on managing screen time and content consumption.

Takeaways

• 📱 The speaker encourages viewers to check their daily screen time and praises those under 2 hours.
• 🚫 The speaker has consciously avoided social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat in 2023.
• 🎥 Despite avoiding social media, the speaker's screen time did not decrease, indicating YouTube was not considered a social media platform.
• 📺 The speaker spent a significant amount of time on YouTube, sometimes up to 18 hours in a week, which was realized to be excessive.
• 🛑 The speaker made excuses for the high YouTube usage, such as listening to podcasts or watching educational content, but acknowledges it was often unnecessary.
• 🔍 The speaker delves into the habit of consuming 'junk' content on YouTube, including rabbit holes and true crime stories.
• 📉 The speaker admits that cutting down on other social media did not reduce screen time, as YouTube filled the void.
• 🔑 For 2024, the speaker aims to correct the overuse of YouTube and be more intentional with content consumption.
• 🎁 The speaker now uses YouTube as a reward system after a productive day, limiting viewing to one video.
• 📚 The speaker mentions the idea of treating video watching as a focused activity, like watching a movie, rather than mindless scrolling.
• 🚫 The speaker considers deleting the YouTube app to help reduce screen time but has not done so yet, choosing to be more intentional with usage instead.
• 🎮 The speaker also mentions the time spent on Reddit and a new game, Polytopia, as additional distractions from reducing screen time.

Q & A

What is the speaker's initial request to the audience before starting the video?

The speaker asks the audience to pause and check their daily screen time to see if it's under the 2-hour mark.

What does the speaker consider as 'social media' in the context of the video?

The speaker refers to Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat as social media, excluding YouTube from this category.

Why does the speaker feel that YouTube was not a problem initially?

The speaker initially thought YouTube was not a problem because it offers long-form content and they felt they were learning valuable things from it.

What was the speaker's realization about their screen time at the end of 2023?

The speaker realized that despite avoiding other social media platforms, their screen time, particularly on YouTube, did not decrease and was actually a problem.

What specific habit did the speaker develop that they consider unhealthy?

The speaker developed the habit of using YouTube videos to fall asleep, which they consider unhealthy.

What is the speaker's strategy to make their YouTube consumption more intentional?

The speaker uses YouTube as a reward system, allowing themselves to watch one history video after a good work day and not being on their phone much.

Why does the speaker believe that watching videos on a laptop is healthier than on a phone?

The speaker believes it's healthier because it treats the video like a movie, allowing focused viewing rather than mindless scrolling on a phone.

What other platform did the speaker end up spending more time on after cutting down on social media apps?

The speaker spent more time on Reddit after cutting down on other social media apps.

What game did the speaker download after reading about Elon Musk's recommendation?

The speaker downloaded the game 'Polytopia' after reading about Elon Musk's recommendation.

What is the speaker's goal for 2024 regarding phone screen time?

The speaker's goal for 2024 is to cut down on phone screen time to no more than 2 hours a day.

What does the speaker encourage the audience to do in the comments section?

The speaker encourages the audience to share their feelings about their screen time, tips for cutting down, and whether they feel in control of their content consumption.