This is a personal challenge that's way overdue.
I don't know how much of my life I waste on YouTube, but it's a lot. I've been known to whittle away entire evenings clicking on the next video, or re-watching old videos when I can't find something new.
It's my classic distraction go to - the moment I get a little bored, or a little stuck on a problem, I flick open a new tab and the evening disappears. It's not good for me. It's not even like I come away with any good memories. I need to stop.
Interestingly, it isn't a problem for me professionally. I think the motivations are different there. It's when I'm trying to achieve a personal project (like writing this) and words won't come... aaaaand there's the tab, and there goes my evening.
The rules
So. YouTube is an addicting time sink. But I use it in other contexts and I think it's important not to break everything, so here are the rules.
- opening the YouTube homepage in order to watch videos is forbidden
- watching a single video that someone sends to me is okay (this hardly ever happens) but soliciting my friends to send me stuff to circumvent this rule is not
- using it to listen to music is okay (I do this a lot, particularly at work)
The timeframe is December 2019. Let's see how this goes.
December 9th
I'm feeling the urge to open that tab. This is the first night this month I've had some free time by myself, and I'm already considering throwing in the towel. I definitely have a problem, but instead of giving in, I'm going to write this paragraph and then turn off my computer.
December 11th
Another evening with free time, and the urge is immense. I really need to find something to fill the gap, but so far I haven't found something suitable.
December 19th
The last week has been totally full so I've not even had the opportunity to be tempted. Turns out this might not be the most challenging month to attempt this. I never promised this would be interesting.
Things were more difficult a week ago so I found something to fill the gap - I watched Wonder Woman (over several evenings). It was mostly good, but why do so many superhero/action movies end with a big fight where the villain generally has the upper hand until the hero miraculously recovers from their beating and fights back stronger than ever before?
January 1st
After 30 days without YouTube I've suddenly remembered that I was avoiding YouTube. December wasn't the hardest month to try this, so I'm going to extend this 30 day challenge into a 60 day challenge.
January 3rd
Instead of watching YouTube this evening I played A Short Hike, which I thoroughly recommend.
I also played Far: Lone Sails, which I'd write more about but I believe to do so would spoil it. The only thing I'll say is that it's extremely beautiful (more like an art project than a game) and that I completed it in about three hours.
January 7th
Instead of watching YouTube this evening I finished writing an article I've had in draft for several weeks, and played some more of A Short Hike. I've got twenty golden feathers now and two silver ones (that's pretty good, in case you're wondering).
January 13th
Instead of watching YouTube this evening I finished writing about my 200 articles and watched the third episode of the current series of Doctor Who. It wasn't good. I'm not going to watch any more.
January 28th
Instead of watching YouTube this evening I watched Justice League. What a terrible movie. Has no one at DC watched a Marvel movie in the last ten years? Or even their own Dark Knight trilogy?
I have many other criticisms but the main one is the same I have for most of DC's superhero movies - why do they always end with characters punching each other through walls? It's just not entertaining.
The end (or not)
It's taken me two days to realise it, but I've completed my challenge (although I did have a nightmare the other night about browsing YouTube and then remembering I wasn't supposed to).
It would be fair to say that I haven't made particularly good use of the time I saved, but the point of this was to see if I could break the addiction, which I've done. I feel better for it. I don't want to go back.
In case I do, I leave this note for my future self, and to anyone else who's experienced something similar. Right now, I feel good. I've not written a novel or cured a disease, but I've definitely enjoyed the time more than I would have on YouTube. I've missed nothing of importance. Worlds have not ended without my knowledge. Social awkwardness has not happened because I missed the 'final' trailer for the next big movie. YouTube does not matter.
Update
I'm writing this another month later and I've still not gone back. I've even started being productive with my time - I've caught up on a load of things and worked on several personal projects.
What's more, I've even found a few decent TV shows and movies to watch, and time to watch them in. It's amazing what happens when you manage your time effectively.
Don't ever go back, future self.