Does anybody know how to waste less time on YouTube lol

  • li10@feddit.uk
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    5 hours ago

    Uninstall apps then use YouTube via mobile browser.

    The experience is just not as seamless, which makes it easier to disconnect.

    I did something similar with Reddit, I also have Adblock setup on mobile with a custom rule to block Reddit.com. So if I do want to go on reddit, I specifically need to open the Adblock app and go through menus to enable it again.

    And a more abstract answer, find something else to spend your time on.

  • xuxxun@beehaw.org
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    4 hours ago

    Uninstall youtube. Use newpipe. It gives you a chronological feed and only of the people you subscribe to. You can also create lists of channels. No more random youtube poop reccomebdations that steal your time from you. Next step, switch to only watching stuuf that is on peertube. I am not there yet though.

  • Blastboom Strice@mander.xyz
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    5 hours ago

    Well what I did 3years ago, really cut down my usage of YT:

    I switched to NewPipe. I got angry with tge deterioration of YT and the fact that they hid dislikes made me angry. So, I deleted the yt app and installed NewPipe. Newpipe doesnt support yt accounts, I was too lazy to add my subscription and set the default screen to an empty screen.

    I used to watch yt for around 2hours per day (~mainly memes, but in the further past I used to watch more sciency-stuff) and now I spend around 15minutes per day (~mainly music or tutorials(?), though, lol, I use other apps/platforms more, like lemmy). I think the fact that the period I deleted YT it was a period of various changes, might helped me change my daily yt consumption too.

  • unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de
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    9 hours ago

    Use Newpipe and only use the RSS based chronological feed for watching stuff. (Or just use a nice rss reader like feeder). Only subscribe to channels that make actual quality videos that you genuinly enjoy or make u learn cool stuff. That got me down to like 2-3 20-40min videos per day. When there is nothing new in your sub feed you stop using youtube. Any channel that frequently posts shorts gets kicked out of the feed.

    • Sand3rs@lemmy.world
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      6 hours ago

      This 100%. Have to get away from the recommendation algorithm. I also use leechblock to block the YouTube site indefinitely on firefox and forces me to use the newpipe app (I am a weak person).

      • unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de
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        5 hours ago

        Whatever works. It all takes some degree of self control but thats just how life is i guess. In the end it forced me to find new things or hobbies or try out that game i bought 2 years ago etc.

        Its very different depending on your lifestyle. If you work and have no after work obligations you need a very different system than people that go to school or university that need to study at home.

  • Zagorath@aussie.zone
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    9 hours ago

    Switching back to the official app might help. All those shitty ads and inability to PIP would make me spend less time.

    Another option might be to keep using YouTube, but play music with it. Preferably lyricless music like soundtracks, jazz, or classical. Once YouTube is busy playing music it can’t play anything else, and you can do other stuff while listening.

    • Dave2OP
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      9 hours ago

      Thank you for replying but god couldn’t force me to use the official app, that’s like a one way to ticket to aneurysm town. I also use VLC so no need for music. But still thankies!!

      • Zagorath@aussie.zone
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        9 hours ago

        To be clear, my second idea isn’t to use YouTube for music because it’s for music. It’s to use YouTube for music because while listening to music on YouTube you can’t be doing something else on YouTube. It’s essentially a productivity ‘hack’.

  • OrnateLuna
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    10 hours ago

    A bit more practical is just delete all of your history and disable history on YouTube. You won’t get recommendations that way and it will be boring to spend time on youtube

    • Dave2OP
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      9 hours ago

      I don’t think I had history on since 2022, but yeah it’s an incredible feature

  • clubb@lemmy.world
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    10 hours ago

    I had the same problem 2 weeks ago. I uninstalled it. Fixed it. If you don’t want to uninstall, set a timer for 0 minutes a day, if you have that feature.

    • Dave2OP
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      9 hours ago

      Timers a fantastic idea that I also use when I need to get some work done but otherwise deleting the app completely is impossible, how else am I going to watch easy German or MIT lecture videos?

        • Dave2OP
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          8 hours ago

          The screenshot is from that app honey

            • Dave2OP
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              7 hours ago

              Ahhh I wanted to make a joke about my calculator usage!!! I use YouTube for lessons!!

                • Dave2OP
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                  7 hours ago

                  Uuu which games require a calculator?