Too much time being wasted on YouTube? Stop it with a few simple routine adjustments and minor configuration adjustments.
I noticed that I was using YouTube more frequently than previously, watching everything from videos on Komodo dragons to interesting life hacks. It takes a lot of time, particularly if you have other pressing matters to attend to.
The few easy steps I took to kick my YouTube addiction are listed here in case you’re going in the same direction.
Analyzing YouTube Time and Habits
Determining the additional measures required to curtail your YouTube usage might be facilitated by comprehending and evaluating your viewing habits.
For example, you don’t need to ban YouTube on your computer if you watch it on your phone. Similarly, if using a bedtime reminder doesn’t change how long you sleep, it won’t matter.
Thus, to start, take note of the following:
- Daily time spent on YouTube
- The device (phone, TV, or desktop) that you use to watch
- specific times of day or night when you spend the most time on YouTube
Open YouTube on your phone, select the You tab, scroll down to Time Watched, and click to analyse your usage. Your seven-day history of YouTube usage is displayed here. You can utilise tools like Digital Wellbeing or Screen Time to get more specific statistics or historical data.
But take note that videos on any devices utilising your profile are included in YouTube Time watched. Nevertheless, you will need to set them individually for every device if you use screen time tracking programmes.
Limiting YouTube App Time on Mobile Phone
The best strategy, in my opinion, was to track and monitor my screen time in order to reduce the amount of time I spent using the YouTube app. The Digital Wellbeing and Parental Control app is available for Android smartphones, and Screen Time is available for iPhone users.
Navigate to Settings > Digital Wellbeing & Parental controls > Dashboard on Android devices. From the list of apps, select YouTube, and create a daily reminder for it.
If you own an iPhone, you may limit how much time you spend on YouTube and reduce your phone usage by using Screen Time.
Setting YouTube Break and Bedtime Reminders
There are a few options on YouTube that can help you cut down on how much time you spend watching. First, when you’ve spent a specific amount of time on YouTube, you can schedule a reminder for a break. Go to the You tab > Time Watched > Tools to manage your YouTube time to establish this limit.
From here, you can use the bedtime settings on your phone or build a custom schedule to make a reminder for when it’s time to go to bed. Similarly, you may programme YouTube to remind you to take a break at a specific time by setting a break reminder.
Turning Off Notifications
Your productivity may suffer as a result of YouTube notifications. You should disable or manage YouTube notifications if you find it difficult to stop watching videos from your favourite channels after you receive one.
Go to the You tab > Settings (upper-right corner) > Notifications to accomplish this. This is where you can individually disable various notification kinds. On a PC, use the sidebar to access Settings.
Another option if you don’t want to disable the notifications is to set up a scheduled digest. In this manner, all of your alerts will be received as a digest at a certain time, saving you from being interrupted during work hours. Navigate to Settings > Notifications, turn on Scheduled digest, choose a delivery time, and create a scheduled digest. Win-win!
Disabling Autoplay
Autoplay is just another feature that makes you want to stay on YouTube. When enabled, YouTube will play the following video without your knowledge, so you won’t even be aware of how many you’ve viewed.
After watching any video on YouTube, turn off the autoplay feature by toggling the button. You can also disable autoplay on a mobile device by going to the You tab > Settings > Autoplay.
Blocking YouTube Website on Computer
The best course of action if you can’t resist watching YouTube on your computer while working is to ban the YouTube website on your device.
If you use a certain browser to access YouTube, you can add youtube.com to the blocklist by installing a site-blocking extension like Block Site or Site Blocker. Changing the Hosts file is an additional method of blocking websites.
Bookmarking the Subscriptions Page
The algorithm on YouTube keeps you captivated to the screen. It is simple to become entangled in this trap when scrolling through the home feed.
Changing your computer’s bookmark from the home page to the YouTube Subscriptions page is one approach to prevent falling victim to this scam. The next time you visit the website, you can skip the pointless videos and choose straight from your favourite channels.
Watching YouTube Videos on a Third-Party Website
You can watch YouTube videos on a third-party website if none of the aforementioned methods work for you. By doing this, you will be able to get rid of the YouTube algorithm that keeps you interested.
A website like this is Watchkin. Any YouTube video that you paste the URL into is asked to be played on the website. You won’t be enticed to watch any lifehacks because there won’t be any visual distractions.
You may also use SafeShare as a website for this. Even though its original purpose was to share YouTube videos, it can also assist you in getting rid of all distractions and beating your YouTube addiction.
For billions of people, YouTube is without a doubt their go-to source for both education and enjoyment. However, binge watching it might negatively impact your sleep and productivity. Thus, you can use these tools and strategies to fight your addiction and safeguard your mental health if you want to reduce the amount of time you spend on YouTube.