i basically waste my entire day watching youtube on my chromecast and im tired of it 😭 don’t get me wrong, i LOVE youtube and i don’t want to quit entirely, i just want to not waste my entire day watching youtube. It mostly starts in the morning when i eat breakfast where it kinda snowballs from there, or in the afternoon when i get home and basically watch the rest of the day. Also, im watching on a tv, specifically a chromecast
thanks
You might want to read up on (or find some videos on the topic, haha) dopamine addiction. It’s not a real term, per se, but it will get you results about the problem you have.
I think that watching the videos 1) distracts you from reality and 2) gives you a little reward, either though little dopamine spikes (e.g. a funny segment, or some tidbit of knowledge), or through a false feeling of accomplishment.
Personally, I would recommend whittling down a short list of favorite YouTubers. Set aside a few afternoons per week to watch the videos, and try to pare the time back further over the course of months. Focus on real-world hobbies and interests. Leave your phone at home, go to a coffee shop, and read a book for an hour.
On the subject of reading and attention spans (which is often a core issue here), I read about a study a long time ago. They had students read from a book every night. They were to read for as long as they felt like it, and then read one more page. At the end of the study, the students reported that they were reading far more per sitting, and that their attention span improved.
There’s also a lot of recent information out there about dopamine resets, where people cut out technology and take walks while focusing on the world around them. This would probably benefit you, too.
oo interesting
i feel like its been a bit better today and i do feel better, so maybe ill just do SOMETHING else, whether its video games or hanging out with friends or whatever
I strongly recommend that you focus on maximizing time doing anything and everything real and tangible, preferably with other people. It’s really easy for games and social media to mess with your brain’s reward system, leading up worse personal outcomes.
I fully recognize the irony of me writing this to you online, btw. In my defense, I’m meeting with friends in two hours and going to do yard work right now. ;-)
maybe i shouldn’t have said friends? mine barely wanna hang out
Get out of the house. Pick up new hobbies and meet new people. I don’t know how old you are, but you sound young. Now is the chance to build the future you, with a wide variety of interest and experiences, and strong friendships. You won’t get any of these from passive consumption of media.