Weaned from YouTube and Instagram

De-Instagramification

it amuses me to read about how Instagram and YouTube are addictive today, when the opposite is true. Imagine, you live alone. You're in the middle of a pandemic. Your only social exchange is at a petrol station when buying a coke or similar. You exchange three sentences and then you go back to abject solitude.

Now, imagine that at the same time as you deal with abject solitude you see social media pivoting from being about your friends and family, to people living a better, more social, more fulfilled life than you. Imagine being exposed to binfluencers. Imagine seeing them get hundreds of likes, and comments. Imagine commenting but being ignored.

Now imagine the sense of solitude, loneliness and isolation. Imagine the ever-increasing sense of FOMO and post-traumatic stress from not being able to connect.

I bring this up because I saw that YouTube and Instagram are being called addictive. Yesterday I heard someone speak about mindless scrolling on Instagram.

Instagram was "addictive", when it was connecting me to friends, family and colleagues. It was addictive when I didn't have an ad that blocks my timeline for several seconds every fourth post. I use the word "addictive", when the right word is "engaging". Instagram was a pleasure to use, when it was a social app that connected me with friends, family and colleagues when we were not in the same physical space. When it pivoted to being about binfluencers and strangers, it became redundant.

The nail in the coffin of Instagram was seeing others get loads of engagement, whilst dealing with pandemic solitude. Instagram became ROMO. Reminder of Missing Out. 😉

YouTube

In the case of YouTube it might have been engaging at one time, when we could search through 30-100 videos at a time. Once they made it so that we get 6-8 recommendations per topic, and everything is written in clickbaitese, and every video uses the same cliché music and sound effects it becomes toxic.

When we could discover content, through browsing YouTube was engaging. When we could read video titles that were not written in clickbaitese, we wanted to click through and browse.

By getting algorithms to take over the timeline and recommendations I'm being fed video titles that repulse, rather attract me. I'm being fed titles that wean, rather than hook me. Ads repulsed me. Clickbait headlines disgusted me off of YouTube.

Engagement Versus Addiction

Humans are naturally social, as was proved by people preferring to play COVID roulette than to get to COVID zero. People want to connect with others, and want to be social. They want to establish relationships and friendships.

Social networks grew and thrived from bulletin boards to web forums and chatrooms to hybrid sites like MySpace, LiveJournal, Blogger and plenty of smaller niche forums. Eventually Twitter, Reddit, Facebook and other monoliths hoovered up every smaller community.

Sparse Geek Density

Twitter and Facebook were engaging because they connected people, in an age where being online was for geeks, not normal people. With time, and especially with the pandemic, normal people arrived on social media, which is when social media lost value.

And Finally, Loneliness is Repulsive, Not Addictive

Instagram and YouTube were interesting. Instagram was engaging when it complemented my life, when it connected me with people I knew and appreciated. When it pivoted and disconnected me from friends it lost its value.

With YouTube it was engaging and interesting when it allowed me to search for and find interesting content after browsing for a certain amount of time. Once it forced me to watch YoUTube optimised clickbait content, it lost it's value.

By pivoting away from being social networks social media sites became irrelevant. That's why they need to resort to addiction strategies.

What we are seeing is not the killing of criminals. We are seeing people who care deeply, who question the deplorable actions of others, and who speak up when someone is being harmed.
Those are the people being killed. The people being killed are people with their humanity intact.
The goal is blind obedience. Disconnection from one another. Silence in the face of abuse. They want people who keep moving, keep working, keep producing, and never stop to question what is being done to others. They want compliance, not conscience.

#compliance #disconnection #humanity #WhereIsTheLove #standupfightback #SaySomething #community

ALTAR OF DESPAIR - DISCONNECTION [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO] (2025) SW EXCLUSIVE

https://peertube.gravitywell.xyz/w/hgsDfEJkHjQzp3RVe1bFJ7

ALTAR OF DESPAIR - DISCONNECTION [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO] (2025) SW EXCLUSIVE

https://peertube.gravitywell.xyz/w/vy7nHxU4fjoc3xcEUK3Lbj

The Quiet Freedom of Not Being Attached to My Phone

https://jaimedavid.blog/2026/01/16/23/32/15/analysis/jaimedavid327/9046/the-quiet-freedom-of-not-being-attached-to-my-phone/

Self-Disconnection and Unhappiness
Disconnecting from oneself may temporarily relieve unhappiness but makes it worse in the long term.

#disconnection #escape #life #mentalhealth

Princess of Wales warns smartphones cause family disconnection epidemic

The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, has raised concerns about the disruptive impact of smartphones and digital devices on family relationships, describing it as an 'epidemic of disconnection.' In a jointly authored essay with Harvard professor Robert Waldinger, she explains that despite promises ... [More info]

Echoes of #Plato: #NeoLuddism — reclaiming the human in the digital age

Making room for humanity in the march of technology

“The machines were their enemies, for the machines were the means by which greedy masters enforced their will.” — – E.P. Thompson, The Making of the English Working Class (1963)

by Kem-Laurin Lubin, Jan 4, 2025

"Modern neo-Luddism draws inspiration from this historical movement, but rather than opposing all forms of #technology, it critiques the #uncritical adoption of digital tools and automation. Neo-Luddites are not anti-technology per se; instead, they advocate for a more #mindful and selective use of technology, prioritizing human #WellBeing, #EnvironmentalSustainability, and meaningful #SocialInteractions.

"In today’s context, neo-Luddism is less about destroying machines and more about reclaiming control over how technology shapes daily life. It questions the pervasive influence of #smartphones, #SocialMedia, and constant #connectivity, encouraging moments of #disconnection to foster deeper, more authentic human experiences.

"This philosophy underpins the growing trend of 'no-tech meetups,' where individuals come together to temporarily step away from digital distractions and reconnect in more organic, face-to-face ways [Like listening to vinyl records with a friend!]. Neo-Luddites advocate for a conscious retreat from digital dependence, emphasizing the importance of face-to-face communication and preserving human connection without the interference of screens. These gatherings, often called '#LudditeClubs' or 'analog meetups,' create spaces where participants can engage in conversations, activities, and communal experiences free from the distractions of smartphones, social media, and other digital tools.

"The motivations behind this movement are diverse. Some individuals express concerns over privacy and the pervasive #surveillance associated with digital platforms. Some lament the growing loss of #jobs and community. Others seek to combat the social isolation and mental health challenges exacerbated by excessive screen time. #Environmental considerations also play a role, with participants mindful of the ecological impact of #ElectronicWaste and the resource demands of constant technological upgrades."

Read more:
https://medium.com/the-academic/echoes-of-plato-neo-luddism-reclaiming-the-human-in-the-digital-age-a565045253a4

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/6tQNO

#Philosophy #RightToRepair #EWaste #PlannedObsolescence #LudditeClub #NeoLuddite #UseYourBrain #DigitalAge #ReadABook #SmartphoneAddiction #TechAddiction #MentalHealth #BrainHealth #DatacentersUseTooMuchElectricity

Disconnection
Sustained disconnection from oneself leads to repeating life lessons, life stagnation and suffering.

#disconnection #meditation #mentalhealth

Nearly half of 16-21 year olds in the UK would rather live in a world without internet

I’m a little frustrated I can’t find information about how the sample (n=1,293) was recruited but I can’t stop thinking about this finding from BSI research:

This is crying out for qualitative follow up? Do they try and realise this in their own technology use? Does this necessarily lead them to try and reduce their internet use? What barriers do they face in reducing their internet use? Do they have sources of support and insight in such an undertaking? There’s certainly evidence of a desire for support:

Over a quarter (27%) argue phones should be banned in schools – something many campaigners and politicians across the spectrum are calling for – and half back recently suggested ideas of a social media curfew where platforms are inaccessible after a certain time in the evening. A fifth (22%) say their lives would be better without access to online gaming

How can quitting be incorporated into media literacy training? This seems like a good place to start.

#digitalDisconnection #disconnection #internet #mediaLiteracy #phones #sociologyOfYouth #youth