The Netflix and YouTube Diet That Changed My Life
How I reduced my video usage and replaced it with books
Is it possible, given that someone has an impenetrable will, to stop watching videos? Maybe, but videos are addictive: an immersive experience where all you have to do is sit back. I grew up with Netflix taking Blockbuster, YouTube’s rise to fame, and anime on the screens of every Asian teenager (including me).
From my childhood to my teenage years to adulthood, I consumed videos endlessly. If I wasn’t playing games, I was watching videos, and I often wasn’t playing games. I’d click a video, and when it ended, choose the next video from the suggestions sidebar. Then I would go into an infinite loop of videos until I realize I’ve watched a bunch of videos about something I didn’t care about and didn’t need to know. A said something about B behind their back and C watched but kept quiet, and D roasted them for not contributing, but E also wants to stay out of the drama and doesn’t take any responsibility, so the comment section grills them.
My sickness for videos
I’ve developed a sickness for videos. Well, not for videos themselves, but for the experience of endlessly watching videos. This type of consumption has lost its allure. I can’t watch video after video after video…
