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Comment by kumarvvr | Hacker News Reader

I am afraid to even install TikTok. For past 6 months, I have spent an average of 4 to 5 hours on Youtube Shorts. I was addicted to them. And it is a much less addictive version of TT (or so I am told).

I forcefully broke the habit by disabling the YT app. Then I started watching them in the browser.

It took enormous will to break out of that addiction (and other addictions as well. I removed Reddit, Twitter, IG, FB and SC)

YET, I still spend an hour, randomly, on YT shorts.

I am worried for the future of my next generation, where their most productive time would be a relaxing break from social media.

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I'm in the same boat. I would pay just for the option of disabling shorts. I go to YouTube to enjoy long form content and try to engage my brain a little bit. After watching a pile of Shorts, it feels like the equivalent of eating an entire bag of chips in one sitting. Sure, it was enjoyable while I was doing it but I gained no actual value and now feel kind of sick. But just like a bag of chips, it's so tempting to "eat just one."

I had the same Issue. I can very much recommend the Browser Extension "Distraction free youtube". It has the option to remove shorts, the recommended page and sidebar etc. from the Page completely. Enables you to watch the stuff you are subscribed to without getting sucked into some random shit on the side.

I have successfully stopped this habit using YoutubeVanced. There is an option to hide shorts from the main screen, which was enough for me to stop watching them.

I have two questions - 1) is it still possible to get vanced these days, or do I need to back up whatever apks I may or may not have. and 2) where is this main screen option? I can't find it from a cursory look in the youtube vanced or vanced manager apps

I've been getting ads on vanced recently and I don't have an option to disable shorts

Me too, after Vanced's official discontinuation, more and more ads have slipped into the app. I am now seeing a giant ad thumbnail that shows up as the first "search result". It's portrait-sized too, so it takes up almost the whole screen.

I'm using Newpipe more and more these days.

You just saved my brain so much pain. Thank you

I disabled everything I could on youtube in 2015 or so, they haven't recommended me new content since then, I still haven't seen these "shorts"

I only go there when I know what I want to watch

How can I reach this youtube shorts? I think I've seen 2 shorts in my life when someone linked them somewhere but I don't have a button for youtube shorts?

From the whole blaring section of them under the heading "Shorts" on the front page of youtube.com.

I use Enhancer for Youtube to disable shorts.

What exactly is it that makes YT shorts so compelling?

Genuine question - because I tried watching them several times over, but they never really clicked with me?

Maybe I'm just old - but I honestly don't "get it".

Have you ever felt really tired, so tired that your brain has only room for primal emotion, and not really any rational thought? When you are running on automatic pilot, your reptilian brain is in control and it only cares about the most basic form of stimulation?

That is the spot YT shorts (and TikTok, I guess) are hitting. It's the uncompromising equivalent of the nineties "Fishing with John" or "Beavis and Butt-head".

I have experienced burn-out, yes.

My brain would then make me listen do soft music in a darkened room. Watching videos so short that the entire context completely changes every few seconds would have been way too much.

Similar experience here. I can watch it for 5 minutes and then it starts showing me slight variations of the same stuff. Plus a lot of plain bad content in the mix.

The only thing I enjoy about it is that I can see clips from longer format YouTube videos that if I like I can go watch later. Kind of like a movie trailer would do. I wish YouTube would capitalize on that and make it easy to access the full video from the clip.

It peters off. I use to be a bit worried by my time on TT, but it's gotten a lot less - now I mostly watch it before bed, and don't even lose sleep because of it. I stopped stressing when I realized I was really enjoying it - so why the hell feel guilty?

It's probably affecting your sleep, even if you don't realise it. Various studies have been done on the negative impacts of this kind of engagement right before sleep

You know what else is affecting my sleep? Having a couple of beers in the evening. Having sex. Doing absolutely anything exciting at all, including exercise in the second part of the day.

Yeah. Not tempted to give all of it up.

That's fine, but you're contradicting yourself.

There's a difference between riding a motorcycle without a helmet and eating red meat.

I'm saying TT is closer to the second, when it comes to losing sleep. It may have some effect, if you dig deep enough, but it's a lifestyle choice that's legitimate to make either way.

Drinking coffee in the evenings and complaining that I can't sleep would be the alternative.

Affecting sleep != Losing sleep

>For past 6 months, I have spent an average of 4 to 5 hours on Youtube Shorts.

Per day?

No, an average of 4 to 5 hours on YouTube shorts, per hour. /srs /j

Can you speed up shorts? I know regular YouTube videos can be played at 2x speed.

Yup. Its not at a stretch, but it became my filler activity.

And before sleeping at night.

That’s also how much teens spend on TikTok a day

This article says the global average is 91 minutes/day for kids and teens. 99 minutes/day in the US.

https://techcrunch.com/2022/07/13/kids-and-teens-watch-more-...

I don't know if it would help, but I have this filter for uBlockOrigin to remove shorts from the website, not because I'm additect but because I don't like them https://pastebin.com/kHejdCqC

I installed TikTok on an iPhone, provided no personal info, and used Apple Login as the ID (which conceals my email, right?). So I assume I’m relatively safe from surveillance… but am I?

24 hours a day, 8 of which is sleeping, 8 of which is work, 8 of which is relaxation. Why not have 4-5 hours of those 8 relaxation hours be YT Shorts? What's the problem, exactly? If it rejuvenates you why not?

Probably because it leaves you feeling empty more so then rejuvenated. Notwithstanding the anxiety and guilt that comes with spending hours on a behavior you actually wish you were not doing.

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