Recently, I have seen an increase in the level of concern about people that overuse YouTube and its possible effect on individuals as well as society. As a source of videos that never run out, YouTube has become a central part of our everyday lives. However, this comes at the cost of our convenience, and I believe that it is essential to thoroughly study YouTube addiction.
"Defining YouTube Addiction
YouTube addiction can be described as not having control over oneself to watch videos on the platform, leading to the disregard of other important activities/tasks. Although YouTube addiction is not formally admitted as a clinical condition, I discern that its behavior closely mirrors those of other forms of internal addiction which are synonymous with behavioral addictions.
Identifying symptoms linked to YouTube addiction could be the following:
Watching videos far longer than the planned time
Not being able to control or diminish YouTube use
Avoiding personal relationships or responsibilities
Feeling plot light symptoms like anxiety or despair when you can’t access the internet or youtube
Mostly using YouTube as a coping strategy for your psychological distress or emotions with it.
The Psychology Behind YouTube Addiction
I found that the YouTube addiction is related to some psychological and neurological factors. The service’s how it is designed to jailbreak our mind’s reward system which includes the release of dopamine when we explore stand-out, but entertaining content. This results in the development of an indulgence and reinforcement cycle that helps us stick to the activity at hand.
These psychological factors are the prime driving forces behind the addiction on YouTube:
Instant gratification: YouTube is a very quick way to get information and entertainment
Escapism: In most of the cases, users may go to the YouTube to flee real-world problems or emotions
Fear of the Missing Out(FOMO): The regular appearance of new content makes users afraid of losing out on them
Communication and socialization: Communities on YouTube can give people a sense of connection and being understood
The Role of Algorithms in Perpetuating Addiction
I think that YouTube’s recommendation algorithm mxes up the most of the situation and directly feeds the perpetuation of addictive behaviors. The algorithm is meant to keep users adjoined with it and thus it suggests videos to the user according to their watch history and preferences. This personal content stream may result in a “rabbit hole” phenomenon, wherein users keep on watching video after video for long periods.
YouTube’s algorithm features that stimulate addiction are as follows:
Autoplay: The video is automatically started
Personalized recommendations: Showing content that is of interest to the individual
Popular content: Drawing user’s attention with videos that are in trend
Time spent on watching: Making the user to spend more time on the platform when watching the videos
Comparing YouTube Addiction to Other Digital Addictions
Through my research, it becomes clear that YouTube addiction has tremendous similitude with other internet and social media addictions. However, its special characteristics as a video-based format and the rich content it offers make it distinctive from them.
Likenesses to other digital addictions:
A great deal of screen time
Neglect of real-world responsibilities
Not being able to control usage
Withdrawal-like symptoms when unable to access the platform
Features that are specific to YouTube addiction:
Lenghty video consumption
Many categories of topics are open for discussion
Chance of using educational and skill-building materials
Provision of relational experiences and the connections of mutual affirmations between creators and viewers
Potential Solutions and Coping Strategies
For those who face YouTube addiction, I suggest these ways out of the problem:
Put a restriction on the time: Use the given tools or other third-party applications so that the YouTube usage can be reduced
Practice awareness of the time of viewing you are doing and why you are planning to watch these videos, this is also relevant to social media
Also, offline activities like reading books, writing, or drawing should be practiced frequently than having total dependence on YouTube for entertainment.
Engage with family, friends, or experts to discuss your feelings and raise any concerns with them
Design a day plan: Set apart different times for watching and doing the work
Abstain from getting notifications: This will remove the urge to constantly check YouTube
The Debate: Should YouTube Addiction Be Classified as a Clinical Disorder?
The controversy on the topic of whether YouTube addiction should be classified as a clinical disorder among mental health professionals is still ongoing. While there is no mention of this addiction in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) yet, some professionals argue that its behaviors resemble the pattern of the behavioral addiction.
Arguments in favor of making the classification:
It shares the same properties with most of the existing recognized addictive behaviors
A substantive decline in both performance and life quality
The climbing trend alongside the community distress reflects its growing burden as well
Arguments against the classification of YouTube addiction:
No long-term research on the influence of YouTube addiction
The possibility of over-pathologizing the normal behavior of the consumers
Difficulty in fixing the boundary between the proper and the troublesome use of the platform
Responsibilities of Stakeholders
I firmly believe that the solution of YouTube addiction will be possible if duty is divided among the different stakeholders:
Content Creators
Promote better watching habits
Create works that motivate people to perform activities out of the web
Be honest about sponsorship deals and advertisements by admitting directly the potentially addictive elements of their content.
Platform Owners (YouTube)
They should put in place settings to help parents for more effective control over their children but also introduce options for setting time limits on each screen in a family
Resources that can be used by a user in investigating his/her usage pattern should be provided
Changing and readjusting some algorithms to break addiction can be a good strategy
Users
Self-awareness and modesty are important to be developed
Call for professional help if needed
Letting one learning about the digital well-being situation
Maintaining the Upside of YouTube
Besides tackling the issue of YouTube addiction, I also agree with the positive sides that the platform offers such as:
Free educational materials access
Experiencing different lifestyles and perspectives
A medium of expression and capability
Building up communities and connections
I propose the below-mentioned ways of objectivization:
Please do set up proper and concrete goals of what you want to achieve in YouTube viewing experience, for instance, learning something new or mastering a skill.
Choose content that brings you the full worth of your subscription
Use it like an add-on to your life ventures instead of taking the place of other human connections
Auspiciously thinking through and dissecting your YouTube usage will help you.
Conclusion
To sum up, addiction to YouTube highlights the multifaceted issues of our digital age to a higher extent. The services the platform provides are many, but at the same time, it poses a danger of getting addicted. As we move forward with the integration of YouTube and substitutable technologies in our daily lives, it is important for us to be aware of our usage habits and aim at a balanced lifestyle.
In the future, I propose that the effective accomplishment of combating YouTube addiction will need unceasing research, open communication, and also the partnership between the addicts, content developers, platform holders, and the mental health medicines. We will be able to harness the good sides of YouTube meanwhile alleviating its bad points on individuals and society if we work together and protect the digital well-being first.
Discover more from AGENDAPEDIA
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.