[kachurovskiy]

I've stopped using YouTube and Reddit since early April and it's been a mixed bag.

On one side my interest level has adjusted so that normal activities make sense again - like sitting in the garden or playing a game with my kid. I've also completed dozens of projects like replacing old silicon in the entire kitchen or updating the garden playground.

On the other side I'm feeling more isolated and lacking information / stimulation for creative output because I no longer have any idea what other people are doing. However given that massive amounts of time have been freed I'm more productive both at work and at home, more effort on health too.

It's definitely something to try but it's not all roses.

[anitil]

I've effectively dropped reddit because they've made the mobile web version near-unusable (and I find old.reddit.com difficult on mobile). Honestly, it's an improvement in my life. I don't know how I found myself spending so much time on it for so little benefit

[red-iron-pine]

yeah same. old.reddit still works okay sometimes but it is annoying for regular use

the mobile options are terrible.

happy to be done w/ it tbh.

[anitil]

Followup - my addiction is apparently worse than I thought. I'm using old.reddit in the browser, but at least in a reduced capacity. My shame.

[mcmoor]

I've been forced to do it once for reddit, with the API fiasco, and I don't really notice improvement but I do notice reduced quality of life. Almost no other websites have easily accessible niche memes.

YouTube recommendation is never that good to me. I frequently just scroll desperately and ended up not watching anything, and when I'm peak bored I resort to rewatching my list of liked videos. That's why I feel weird whenever I see projects that want to make YouTube less engaging, it's already not engaging enough for me.

[trumpdong]

My recommendations on YouTube are currently a mix between science projects - NightHawkInLight just did something on electrolysis that I haven't watched yet - and political hopefully-not-slop-but-still-mass-produced-content like how AI data centers are failing.

[switchbak]

I'm a big YouTube addict, but I dropped social media well before that was cool.

I've felt quite disconnected from folks I knew, and I presume they feel like I've pulled away. Sounds like this is kind of similar, you end up feeling a bit disconnected? Doesn't sound all that bad, but I get what you mean - you feel isolated.

I've learned incredible amounts of things with YouTube - I curate it like a madman, but overall I'm still not sure it's a good thing. Corporations just tend to end up eating their customers eventually.

[Gigachad]

I’ve kept YouTube on the tv but avoid it on mobile. Theres a lot of great stuff on the site that inspires projects and ideas for myself.

I do have to resist watching all the product review videos which are essentially just ads.

[rnewme]

Create rss feed of few curated favorite creators.

[switchbak]

You must have one high-tech kitchen!