I remember being a kid before the smartphone revolution. There was nothing more exciting than going in the woods or teaming up on friends with air soft guns.
I loved books too, but I love my phone more. A month ago I bought my first book on Kindle. It changed everything. My brain thinks I'm on my phone, but I'm actually reading at midnight under the blankets. It's really great!
@@itsreach3537 oh I know, I’m addicted as fuck and have been logged out of all accounts except for 1 hour allowed on RUclips at night, started a few days ago and I feel like I’m going through withdrawals with anxiety and panic
Even the simple activity of sitting down in a quiet room and reading a book for 30 minutes and focusing on nothing except the book entirely changes my mood. It's nice and calming.
Yup, I've started reading books again and I can approve. Aside from factual texts I had never really liked reading fiction, or at least I thought that... But I bought the Martian and finished in 4 days last week (which in my case is a personal record). I really tried to give it my undivided atttention. It was hard at first but I threw my dumb phone away and continued with reading and after each session my mind felt really refreshed. Something I hadn't felt for a good while.
@@Bennettone there is nothing wrong with dopamine. It's not the chemical that's the issue, it's the misuse of it. As was explained in the video, we can receive hits of dopamine from anything that we think will reward us. So why not retrain that mechanism to benefit us more. Instead of being slaves to self-esteem shredders like social media, we can start learning a skill. That's a positive shift in the application of the dopamine chemical. We can finish a book or create something. That is so much more healthy of a dopamine hit. Dopamine is not a dirty word, and it is totally misunderstood
I was born in 2001. I remember from the 1st half of my childhood when none of us had smartphones, game consoles, ipads, netflix, or just anything that would keep us inside. Everyday I would be outside with my friends/neighbors playing soccer, tag, exploring, or just being kids, without the mental "burden" of having to constantly refresh your feed. Man I miss those days; I feel like I was actually living and being a social human during that time.
It’s a trip to think about. After hundreds of thousands of years of human existence, our age group will be the very last to remember a time without this technology. Unless the world destroys itself or something.
I remember this, it was a time where social media wasn’t as prevalent. I remember my older sister playing the games on Facebook. FarmVille. WolfQuest was another favorite of hers. I played Scribblenauts, Webkinz, Clubpenguin, NeedforSpeed, MarioKart, etc. I can’t say any of it was bad for me other than having a lack of sleep, but I’ve always stayed up late, no matter what there was to stimulate me. I miss having a small backyard and living in a close community. Having neighborhood friends and finding shenanigans to do with them is more enjoyable than anything. I moved out West in the state later in my childhood and it just caused me to be more reclusive. The atmosphere was slow and the ways of life seemed to have aged.
I really notice this effect when I attend LARP events where we would live like people from the Middle Ages for several days. I would turn off my phone entirely, not even look at the time etc. So we would tend to the fire, cook stew in a cauldron, talk to people, knit and sew, wander around etc all day long. One night at such an event a friend told me that the priestess was going to stop by our camp to tell some stories by the fire. I was ridiculously excited and couldn't wait. After she had finished telling the first story we begged her to tell another one and another one. I was so amazed how hearing some stories by the fire could suddenly be the highlight of my day simply because there was no constant overstimulation.
I think on a spiritual level people were a lot more happy and harmonic in for example the Middle Ages. I can only imagine the sense of community that would exist in a rural pre-industrial village.
There’s been 1 year and a half since I uninstalled facebook and instagram and it’s incredible how my life changed. It seems like I live in a different world than most people. I don’t know and don’t care about what’s happening in other people’s lives, which gives me more time to think about mine, and I study a lot and still have time to read even though I’m in med school. I recommend (honestly I urge) people to reduce drastically their online time and start living the real life again. It pays off!
I’ve done this. People don’t understand why, maybe one day they will. People are so ignorant that it makes me sad for them. This is how people live and it’s horseshit. I hope one day they will find themselves.
i so wish i could do this, but i’m part of a national society that has so many people I’d like to keep track of all over the country. I want to know what everyone is up too since i don’t see them often 🤧
I’ve told my friends for years, our brains were not made for the technology we have. We abuse the amount of stimulation we get. I try to get them to stop the mindless scrolling. No, we probably can’t avoid social media completely, but we can look only when we have a purpose.
Yes exactly, thats why social media has caused alot of people mental health issues, because this type of entertainment isnt natural and its actually damaging
I never had social media till i went to college, I studied well and had a great work ethic. But once I joined college, got my own phone and social media, things started going down and i have become addicted. I was constantly opening twitter reading hot takes, people ratioing each other, etc. I have enjoyed it , learnt a lot became that "cool" person but I was miserably addicted. My grades were bad, and self control was very difficult.
that’s why it is ruining our attention spans and making us lose focus ness in being more attentive instead of disorientated in concentrating on subjects that matter. You wonder why the statistics and diagnoses for increase of ADHD diagnoses are increasing by 25% and it’s very scary whilst sounding like a dystopian fictional novel. too much distraction that’s why I barely watch tv or use anymore. And goes for social media they are all distractions in my life and aren’t helping me focus and do what I need to get done and completed.
@@akashnd5293 delete your accounts - not just the apps, the accounts!! I have NO social media, except RUclips kind of and I don't have this problem anymore. I used to look at Reddit all the time and I just had to full on delete it. I don't miss it at all. I read several books a month, my house is very clean, my dogs and family get lots of attention. I also typically exercise every day. You don't immediately have to jump into anything or prove anything to anyone but to get that monkey off your back, you need to delete your accounts AND apps. Nothing on there is worth your misery. If you have to touch your phone, get a NYT or Atlantic subscription. You read tons of interested news and can come and go as needed. At least you'll learn a lot. Best of luck, you got this!
@@charlesrebbel6580 Exactly -- this is a time where we would be BEST served being able to to quietly sit alone, but our inability to do so compounds the misery
It’s a real issue with people with ADHD like myself. I already have a hard time focusing on menial tasks let alone concentrate on anything. Now this world has so much stimulation I find myself having over-stimulation paralysis where I disconnect myself from everything because of how overwhelming it feels
Even worse is the fact that unhealthy overstimulating activities are far more addictive for us ADHD people. I'm at a point now where I'm going to have severely limit my time online in order to catch up on everything else in my life....after just one more video....
Yes I understand. I don't have ADHD but I have phases where everything is just "too loud" and I feel lost then. Then I need some absolutely quiet time. No people, no radio, nothing. And then it feels so liberating to just be in the moment
This is basically how I became such a passive person I remember being younger and thinking "why I am always waiting for things to go the way I want it to be, to please or entertain me?" Still got a lot of progress to do to be more proactive
i’ve seriously lost any existing attention span i had. i will be sitting on my phone with nothing to do, just switching between apps, hoping something will pop up. i can’t even watch youtube anymore because i’m so used to watching 10 second tiktoks, not even a 5 minute video can keep my attention.
I studied this over the quarantine, and came to a conclusion: 1. Find a good level of stimulation (physically, socially, mentally) daily 2. Going too low or too high on the stimulation meter will put you off balance, and create negative momentum making you feel worse in the long run 3. Allow room for pleasure and high stimulating experiences or life will become dull and your drive will diminish quickly 4. Dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins are your pleasure chemicals, be conscious of these when your feeling average
Thank you for writing this. I think our behavior should be a more alarming concern for us... during quarantine, I actually wrote a poem: Dopamine (on my channel) that is similar to what your thread is saying. If you want to check it out! -- Take care :)
It is definitely something I've noticed. Simply forcing yourself to start doing something that you know is good for you is a big step in the right direction. I want to get to the point where making conscious decision to stop doing super stimulating stuff is natural, easy to convince yourself through logic. The same way I know that I can jump into a colder body of water and feel comfortable in it after a minute.
Believe it or not, this might be the most important post you'll read Everyone of us has broken God's moral law, the Ten Commandments. We have all lied, stolen, hated and lusted. And James 2:10 states that breaking one of the Commandments makes us guilty of breaking them all. Problem is, we can never outweigh our sins through good works because the Creator is perfect in Holiness, meaning His standard is far above ours. And He is also perfect in Justice, meaning not a single sin will go unpunished. And the punishment of sin is being cast into hell, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth with no end. Ever. Fortunately, God is also perfect in love, so 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ left His throne in Heaven and came to this earth as a man. He lived a perfect, sinless life and He so loved us, that He took the punishment of our sin, when He suffered horribly on the cross. Isaiah 53 tells us that his face was marred beyond recognition and that he suffered more than any man. But right before His death, Jesus said "It is finished" meaning the the debt for our sins was paid in full. But on the 3rd day, Jesus conquered death and He was resurrected. So that means now, we can go free from the wrath of God's judgment not by earning it, but rather as a free gift of grace, if you accept Jesus. But, a gift can either accepted or rejected. So if you want to accept the free gift or forgiveness, of grace, and of salvation, this is what you should do: Humbly admit to God that you have sinned against Him, and through gratitude in the sacrifice of His Son, repent (turn away) from your old sinful ways. Then, confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, your Savior. Believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and was resurrected 3 days later. Roman's 10:9 and 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 says that if you do this you are saved. I'm not telling you to get religious, because Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship with God. Religion says DO, but Jesus Christ says DONE! Ephesians 2:8-9 says For it is by grace we are saved through faith, not of works, lest any man should boast. And the moment you do this, God will grant you a new heart, which does not take pleasure in sin and He will give you eternal life. Nothing on this earth even close to compares to what awaits believers. What you do with this information will determine where you will be for Eternity; meaning accepting Christ is the single most important decision you'll EVER make. And all of us here, believer or atheist, know that this is very true. Jesus Christ wants YOU to come to Him this very moment; don't even think about sleeping until you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, because your tomorrow isn't guaranteed. You could die at any moment. Hebrews 9: 27 "It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this, the Judgment." All praise and honor to Jesus Christ, King of kings, Lord of lords.
Walking in the forest by yourself and listening sounds of nature is extremely relaxing and therapeutic. People living in major cities probably don't experience this very often. Being in an artificial park in the middle of a city just doesn't do the trick.
They just built a park close to downtown L.A. I gotta say it’s more exciting than regular parks. Something about parks near the big city is pretty calming.
You can usually find nature in the city too. Watch birds, ants, grass pushing up through cracks in the sidewalk, spiders, clouds. Look and you will find.
I literally live in a forest and I barely do this, instead most of the time staying in the house on my phone. I really need to get out more and collect my thoughts alone... and possibly collect medicinal/nutritious plants
My PhD dissertation was on dopamine signaling in the brain. This is really well done. Importantly, one of the key things you said was dopamine is released when you "might" get a reward. The key word here is might. The uncertainty about getting something rewarding is what keeps you doing that "thing". E.g scrolling endlessly through your phone in the hope you'll see something cool
I’m here a year later but I’m glad to see this video. I made a decision to be ‘present’ in the world and more absent in the Internet world. It’s so much more satisfying. Swimming, exercising, going to concerts, doing crafts with my grandkids, learning to play ukulele. Handwriting letters. Handwriting in my journal. Reading actual books. This has made my life completely different. My life is so much better.
@@ace3998 I feel you!!! I work two jobs but quit the one where things like you described are happening. Now I’m slowly going to use that time to build my own small business! It’s tough because of the dopamine distractions, but I’m learning to have discipline which is rewarding! I’m far from perfect or ‘normal’ by others standards but I’m happy I have something to work towards. Hopefully you can find a dream, big or small that you can maybe work for. Then you will be less tired!
Basically limit all dopamine inducing activities like: Video Games Social Media Drugs P0rn Junk Food Netflix Even some types of fiction books. If you don’t sacrifice for the things that you want the things that you want becomes the sacrifice. You got this guys!
What the fuck should I so all day without These Things?🤣 What’s the alternatives ?? I like Watching Movies 2-3 per Week. Playin Video games with my Friends 2-3 per week. Im addicted to fast Food and porn ??
@@pmueller1 Yea you definitely can be addicted to fast food and porn. I recommend trying to see if you can easily stop using porn. If you find it difficult, you're an addict. Honestly I feel like there's a gray area with gaming, but that's a debate for another day.
After watching this, i had a think about the relevance of what you were saying, to my life…then I went and did the best workout I’ve done in months. I would usually take a break in between to check Facebook and such, but after watching this, I decided against it. Felt the best I’ve felt in a long time. I now realise how dumb I’ve been that something that simple could affect my workout and overall mood. I also started to realise how my depression most likely partially stemmed and continues to partially stem from the easy reward system, because of the lack of satisfaction I have in my real life. Thank you for this video.
This is one of the reasons why I want to get rid of my smartphone. As I've gotten older, I've gotten glued to my phone more and more, to the point where I spend at least 24 hours, if not more, a week staring at a screen. I seriously am so ready to downgrade back to the phones we had back in the early 2010s/late 2000s.
@@BuickGeek24 I’m too addicted to it. It’s useful, but not necessary. It’s too easy to get sucked in when it’s right there. That’s not to say I want to get rid of smartphones as whole, just mine. I think I’d be in a better place mentally without it. That’s just me though. Others may find smartphones beneficial to their life. I just feel it’s done more harm than good to mine. Does that make sense?
Why don’t you try massively scaling back the apps you have installed? Uninstall all social media apps, including RUclips, and instead only have the fundamentals - messaging, maps, music, etc. I’ve found a lot of what I sink wasted time into on the phone are algorithmic platforms like Instagram or RUclips. Ones designed, engineered even, to keep me tapping, scrolling and watching.
RUclips really is my kryptonite. I love learning and I am interested in everything. Sounds amanzing but I am getting no work done man. RUclips's got me in its grip.
Same bro youtube is one of those things were you think, “ah it’s not that bad, it’s not like other social media and it’s educational” but the problem is 80% of the shit you learn on youtube ends up being useless knowledge that you forget, you don’t get shit done that you’re actually meant to do and unlike other social media, you’re not socializing with other people AT ALL
i miss the old youtube where you had to think of something to search for in order to watch something there was no home page or explore tab that pushes a specific list of videos to keep us watching as long as possible
Doing things you don't want to do: If you wake up and go on your phone or your computer for an hour, going on a walk isn't going to be fun at all If you wake up and stare at the wall for an hour, going on a walk is going to sound pretty good compared to what you're doing
I’ve been in a funk with my motivation lately. This icky feeling is almost always either created or fuelled by the desire for instant gratification- whether it’s using my phone constantly and always having something playing, or buying prepared food vs cooking, skipping my workout etc. It’s a wormhole honestly. I came back to this video as a reminder before I delete my unwanted social media apps and turn off notifications.
Cellphones are the new smoking. They have replaced cigarettes in everyday life. Just look around at people throughout the day. Every break, any time someone is waiting for something, any time people would have had a cigarette when smoking was more prevalent they now go for their phone.
It’s probably the case for a lot of people, but there are so many productive things we can do with phones if we use the more valuable apps. It just depends how people use it.
Thank you for writing this, Mike. You know, our behavior should be a more alarming concern for us... during quarantine, I wrote a poem: Dopamine (on my channel) that has everything to do with what this thread is saying. If you want to check it out, mate! -- Take care :)
..... And this is the perfect video to cut myself off of RUclips. I found and subscribed to your channel tonight. I've been going through the roughest chapter in my 38 years of life. Feeling stuck would be an understatement, but you're really making sense to me right now. Thank you 🙏
Hey man, I'm 30 and in the same boat as you. Hope you're doing better now. This video helped me too, getting off RUclips now to finish some laundry and cook myself dinner
I just don't have notifications on for any channels. When it's time to watch youtube(after work and a walk with my dog) I just check my subscription box what is new. I don't watch videos randomly during the day even if I got notified, but then again I'm never in the early "notification squad" getting likes on my comments. But I still enjoy the vids.
great explaination! I got rid of my smartphone and switched to a lightphone and its one of the best decisions ive made in the last decade. working on reducing laptop time now. thanks for this
I know what you mean. I'm a huge gamer, to the point where it gets in the way of doing important things. In the past, I've taken breaks from gaming (a few days to a couple weeks), and my mind feels SO much better. My attention span increases tenfold, my productivity quadruples, and I feel more relaxed and less pushed for time.
The thing is being aware of it. I quit social media, my smart phone is only with me twice a day, and I spend my time doing things I love and not caring if anyone knows (socials). It's been liberating and the inner growth has been a godsend. Awareness is key.
@@noedoublell I think it's like cold turkey is for drugs. I admit having a computer inches away to distract is habit and we have to be willing to stop our own need for escapism.....so how do we do that? If you meditate with high self - that helps. But just very simply admit you want to escape, ask yourself why, and then choose different. Over & over & over until THAT is the habit. There has been many a time where I wished I had the distraction but went to that 5 sense grounding exercise instead. I think to stop is to be mindful that you want to. 🙏❤️
Same. People don't realize what a time suck it is. I go off social for months at a time even though I'm nowhere near as addicted to it as most people, I just see it for what it, irrelevant to my joy and success in life. I bake and cook new recipes, workout, run, hike, bike, read take a walk, talk to my family, meditate, organize, clean, listen and dance and sing to music. I mean there's sooo much one can do without a damn screen!
@@Darima2 that sounds so boring, to be honest. It sounds like your life is from some movie. The things you said aren't THAT interesting. They could entertain for maybe a couple days and the I would be bored again
I like to think of it as "downshifting" my brain. When I'm chasing stimulation, social media food, etc., it feels like my brain is in a higher gear, and if I try to slow down and do something valuable but less stimulating like writing, it just kills the engine. But if I avoid the mindless scrolling and eating for a while, and only do those things mindfully, with a purpose, my brain downshifts, and I can find pleasure in what's important to me. The ways we have to hack our brains now.
I don't know why, but i keep coming back to this video whenever i feel stressed. The way you describe how dopamine works, or what reactions are ocurring in our brain, helps me to better understand that this is part of the natural process.
Getting rid of the smart phone and down grading to a flip phone was the best choice I've ever made. It's like with the smart phone you are a digital zombie passively watching life. Or other people's lives. And you are a slave to checking your device hundreds of times a day. Once I down graded I finally felt like I was an active participant in life again. My quality of life went up and my overall happiness skyrocketed. I was finally free to live again.
May I ask if the smart phone was your primary problem? I'm using an acient Galaxy S4, which can do everything I need it to do and little more and I'm reluctand to upgrade because I know, with 8 times the storage capacity and other advancements, I'd use my phone a whole lot more than I do now (I really only use it for messaging and music). However, I'm absolutely sucked in by my computer, so I think I'll need to approach the problem there.
I'm seriously considering this, specially because it reminds me of Star Trek. Does whatsapp works on flip phones? That's really the only concern I have since I'm bound to it for work and university stuff.
@@thenot-so-smartfox4145 honestly, deleting social media apps helps immensely (not including whatsapp in this). I still have a smartphone but removed Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter. Smartphones are useful for things like having tickets readily available, a decent camera, mobile banking, etc. I have a couple simple games like Solitaire for when I want a distraction, like waiting in line in the bathroom avoiding eye contact lol.
Honestly man, I just started watching your videos & Im already feeling a shift in my mindset. You really put things in perspective & your editing skills are amazing. Thank you bro 🙏
I’ve already deleted all my socials now (except RUclips obv), but the main thing keeping me overstimulated is listening to music all the time and envisioning the life I want instead of actually working towards it and doing the things I’m envisioning. Now I know I have to also pull way back on my music intake because it’s holding me back from what I know I need to do to reach my goals. This was a great video, thank you for the reminder to enjoy the little things and ALLOW myself to experience life in the moment.
I got rid of all my social media except Signal as a means of communication. Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat gone in a week. It feels great to have so much time
@@photoniccannon2117 Same, I had to turn on Facebook again because there are some groups there I need for college, but it doesn't pull me any more even as a distraction. Same with LinkedIn and Twitter and Instagram. I tried not commenting a lot on you tube except under specific channels, so there's not much of social interaction there as well. It really helps to have a clearer mind.
@@But_WhatIf how much time were you spending on them lol? I wasn't even spending that mcuh time on Facebook, I just found it exhausting to interact with content or messages
Guys will give you my two cents based on true story: I’ve been sick last summer, had to spent 15 days in the hospital without being able to eat, to sleep well, to do anything except for laying down on a bed. When I start recovering I remember I was hungry for knowledge: i started reading and have been reading 3 books in 6 days. The thing is that if you are bored anything seems interesting
@@LawAbidingSociopath69 I’m a lot better right now, but went back to work, I’m consultant and work life balance is pretty aufull. Can say I never experienced that kind of feeling. I want to try again to fast and avoid phone/social/etc. because the sensation you have when reading books is amazing. Is literally like your brain is eating knowledge because he want to use it to rule the world. Time is an immense asset. I remember i red somewhere that Ancient Greek philosophers used fasting as a tool to stimulate brain. I think it’s a nature tool: if you cannot satisfy your need you’ll be hungry for tools to use for your goals.
I totally agree with what you're saying here! I got hooked on social media during a very difficult time in my life. I guess it helped when I needed the distraction but now I'm having a hard time putting it away!
deleted all my social media apps two weeks ago and started reading a book thanks to your video's! thanks, i'm a rough reader and i've only done like 80 pages so far, but i'm starting to enjoy it
I am struggling with this addicted to internet and struggling to get back into reading a good book and reading really slow and sometimes I get really frustrated and bored as I am turning the pages and reading can't relax enough to enjoy the process of reading
Dude how do you make videos on the exact area of my life I'm struggling with? This has been literally me the last few months, overstimulating, refreshing social media, waiting for something to happen. Thanks man this is why my notifications are on. P.S Please never change your calm mannerism & voice, I can't stand those improvement channels that YELL LIKE I'M ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HOUSE
Pff same man. Working on a busines and instead of creating content I keep checking the likes of my social media posts....this video really helped. I also like the calm voice he has! also One of the reasons why i don't watch motivational videos because the voice is just too in my face
This is legitimately so relevant right now. I think this is the RUclips video that actually might save my brain instead of feed it’s stress. Thank you.
I really miss my connection with music production and being creative. The rewards are immense. Something especially I remember as a kid. Today, and for the last several years. My addiction with playing on my phone seems to get worse. To add insult to injury, the more I realize my problem, it sometimes drives me even further into the ground.. on the same note however, It’s making me start to seek help through videos and articles online.
Yea man like the other guy said go back to music, sometimes its best to do things u liked doin as a kid/younger , it brings u back to ur roots where u feel comfortable
When I see my mother reading books, not very interesting ones too, for a long period of time, that's another hint for the same process. She wasn't raised with my level of dopamine stimulation. She is used to being bored. So she can handle boring tasks much better and do more useful stuff.
Yes but I don’t think she’s bored when reading for a long period of time. I think we don’t have the same perspective and definition of being bored than our parent’s generation
Being bored is a mind killer so having moderative bad habits like Gaming are nothing wrong with it but just try to enter flow state(creative mode dancing and drawing etc) now and then it's fine :).
Reading has more to do with attention span. If you can't sit still long enough to read/concentrate, then you probably have a learning disability(ADHD, ADD). It has nothing to do with "being used to doing boring things."
@@pinkbouquet1955 adhd and blablabla is bs... things created to make us take medicine we dont need. If im reading something that isnt me i wont focus. If im reading something i love i will focus. Its that easy, but we are so trapped on our minds that we dont even know what we love.
About 2 weeks ago, I was walking in a woodland area in northern England and I saw a deer, it was a beautiful creature. We looked at each other for a while, I wondered if it was suspicious of me. I was a bit worried it would try and attack me, but I just walked on and it left. That was an interesting experience.
Probably one of the few good things about being autistic is that there is a natural aversion to being overstimulated, so I have largely lived a life free of most of these problems. Unfortunately, it has also made it hard for me to realize why it might be such a problem for others. Thanks for shining light on this topic, man.
I 100% agree. I’m not necessarily diagnosed with autism, but I have been with ADD. There’s countless amounts of times where I have to just sit in silence, let my senses rest. I’m also a hippie, so I absolutely adore the natural landscape of the world
You lucked out to have not experienced those things - I have one autistic friend who’s absolutely obsessed with games and computers because he says the world rejects him. I wish I could get him to stop, but we are adults now and I really don’t know what to tell him :(
@@Anna-po1sb Well, if i felt like the world rejected me, thatd be my way of telling someone "i dont feel accepted and im happy doing this thing i love!". I play fames like 8 hours a day and i dont even mean to because its my safe space, im 23 and completely functional in public i think! Sometimes it might be more about perspective. Maybe they might even wanna spend that time with you but is too afraid to ask, ya never know. Hopefully he finds his comfort elsewhere as well and you get a happy ending with your friend :)
@@notbryun I wish we could - young adult life is very busy and we live far away from each other :( I saw him recently and he got into cooking which I think is a great thing
I really needed this. I've been a slave to the internet and have had trouble doing my summer projects for my AP classes that require reading books, analyzing, and in general things that require me to apply myself. Thank you for making this video!
Dude I’m at the point where even improvement videos like this are tough to sit through. I love your stuff, and I know I needed to watch this, but I admit it did sit in my recommended for a while.
I might not going to be back anytime soon as RUclips is one of my doomscrolling destinations. But I wanted to thank you for creating this video. After quite a long time wondering whats wrong, hearing you call this internet addiction made me realize, it is an addiction and has more weight than my initial thought. Not only that, your advice to create a list really clicked on me and helped me found a solution that I have been looking for quite some time. Once again, thanks 👍
I got off of social media roughly 3 years ago and it was simply the best thing ive ever done. I dont miss anything about it. It took my wife a number of months to finally stop asking me "have you seen this... or have you heard about so and so" ect ect. My guilty pleasure is youtube and some video games here and there but mostly i read books or study the stock market or look into home improvement projects and wood working. I would give anything for everyone to get off the curse that is social media.
get the chrome extension distraction free youtube, you can block things like recommended videos, subscriptions and comments so you aren't just watching videos for the sake of it
As an alcoholic in recovery, I realized about this on my first days of sobriety after starting to become obsessive with other things in life that would provide me "immediate pleasure" (like in the video says: scroll down on social media waiting for something interesting to happen, and suddenly, I realized I spent hours to actually find just maybe 5 minutes of something actually interesting). Later on thanks to therapy, I finally understood the difference between serotonin (happiness) and dopamine (the hype of about to get rewarded). It has been a very interesting adventure since I started this process of recovery from alcoholism. I have managed to realize about a lot of things in myself that aren't very healthy. In my personal case, it is necessary to keep going on in this adventure inside my own psyche, because it could mean a relapse on drinking again and hence: Lose my life. Amazing video. Subscribed. Looking forward to watch more.
I always try to remind myself how uncomfortable I could be or how much I really do depend on finer things that I don't really need right now. But damn I'm grateful
I'm an opiate addict in recovery & I have been running into the same issues. I had to slowly replace bad habits with good ones. I started taking a martial arts class & got into yoga. Something healthy you can physically get into & focus on is helpful. It's not easy navigating this world sober. Once we get rid of the drug we have to face all the bad habits we got into while using the drug. Congrats on your sobriety!!!
I like the "Better Than Yesterday" videos. He's a very calm speaker and I don't mind the cartoon pictures. I'm just waiting for the video where he says "Mike used to be a serial killer. But Mike replaced his anger with a special morning routine of getting up early, cold showers and no coffee" ;)
A bit late to the party but might I add "How to Get Your Brain to Focus"? It's a Ted Talk by Chris Bailey that coever exactly this topic. Highly recommend.
It's really sad that the problem is our experiences are TOO good. Like the message is to make your life less interesting and stimulating so you can enjoy other stimulation. That really blows.
i wouldn’t say that. i mean, do you really think mindlessly scrolling is more interesting than being with friends, for example? it’s not that it’s actually more interesting and a better experience, but that it’s designed to make our brains think it is so that we’re unable to fully enjoy what we actually want to enjoy.
think about it this way, the enjoyment you get out of dopamine and any other chemical doesn't make you feel better the more you have in your system, its a bell curve. if you dont have enough dopamine, you'll feel awful, but if you have too much dopamine you'll feel just as bad if not worse. the key is to find where the peak of the bell curve is and do things that bring you to the peak, and by having meaningful experiences and being present in the moment you will never exceed its threshold.
I'm starting to see a huge difference when I just stopped enjoying playing games like I used to. I actually feel good about going outside, talking to people and just enjoy everyday stuff way more, and it doesn't feel like a chore like it used to feel back then. I mean, I still do play games quite often, but it's not the first thing that comes into my mind when I'd like to have fun or just "kill some time". I feel happier and just more confident. (In the way I don't constantly think about that I wasted another 10+ hours on pc doing nothing each day)
I feel this one. When I was younger I could play Xbox for 8-12 hours without a second thought. Now, I sit down to play something at my PC and by the time I get to the title screen I’m already disinterested. Ive found that something as simple as going for a walk every day can really change your life over time
wierdly enough for me it feels the opposite when I had nothing else but to do but playing games i enjoyed so much now with a much "better life" i feel a lot more miserable
I always had a wild imagination from childhood to my early adulthood. I'm 28 going on 29 soon I found that somewhere in between the Facebook hype, and other online distractions over the years, that creative imagination began to slowly diminish over the years to the point where (in a manner of speaking) "lost a lot of color in my life". I still believe that wild free thinking person exists somewhere inside me, but these days you have to walk on eggshells to even survive in this hell we're all in. Makes it kind of difficult for a creative mind to flourish.
I can deeply feel what you're experiencing. I'm not even 20 and I am feeling completely colourless in respect to the boy I used to be just a few years ago.
@@turbofanct6679 You need to pick one thing you would like to learn and do it. When I was your age I would get up in the morning and sew myself a skirt or macrame a plant holder. If you find it difficult to deal with silence then put on some music and dance. You could also read a good fiction novel instead of watching T.V. I go for a walk everyday and see bunnies. Every spring I look for them. You can create your own life . Your 20's are the best time to explore. And do not get involved with the whole "woke crowd". They are so toxic and annoying.
@@bluewaters3100 Thanks for having taken your time to respond. What do you mean by "woke croud"? (I'm not a native speaker, so I could be missing something)
@@turbofanct6679 they probably mean the virtue-signaling SJWs on the internet that force you to think a certain way without actually educating you. these people most likely have no lives & ultimately no real education on the issues they’re virtue-signaling about; they need to get a real social life with other people who think differently than them & ultimately stop being hypocrites. twitter is basically where the majority of this happens, so if you steer clear of that site, you’re most likely fine.
I used to get shit done. But lately, I’ve been overwhelmed by social media, YT and the barrage of notifications 🔔 Deleting TikTok helped but clearly I need to do more. It’s time to get back to what really matters… my health, my wife & kids, my career and doing the things I really enjoyed when I was younger.
I've just figured out a good trick for me: I don't split my time only into 'obligatory stuff' and 'free time' like I used to, but I split the free time itself in two: 1. Time for improving at least in one part of my life (like music production, writing down ideas, working on realizing them - simply just being creative - the stuff I wanna do and get better at) and 2. the time for only recreation and relaxing. That's the time where I can consume stuff I like. The big improvement for me was to divide creation from consumption. That keeps me from mixing up those things and having specific times in my scedule for each of them. Hope that can help anyone. Have a good day and thank you for pointing out such an important topic.
Liked. Commented.and subscribed. Feeling lucky that I bumped into this. Not that I didn’t know, but it’s a great reminder to not to blast our brain with super stimuli to stay motivated on boring things that are critical: Workout, expanding work network, work on the next exams you’ve been procrastinating for a year but could give you a promo at work…
I appreciate when I watch a video that makes me want to watch less videos. It’s a reminder to pause, take a step back and recenter on what’s actually important. Thanks for your videos like this
6:08 as a rock bottom depressed alcoholic (who's "so talented" at music but gave up), holy sht... I don't use social media idk y I clicked this video, but hot damn dude I think u finally fount a way into my brain with everything u said after that time stamp... its been 3-4 years I've spiraled. And u finally cracked a (not demeaning not ignorant or rude) way into changing my perspective on life... thank u for ur point of view with addictions and ur hard hitting words. I hope u got over ur constant stimulation addictions and so do others with your amazing choice of words for anyone to feel and understand. Cause ur right
Hundreds of ads and RUclips videos have shown me skillshare, yet yours is the only one that makes me feel like it's a worthy purchase. RUclips always seemed like it was enough for me, but you are the first I noticed mentioning skillshares "classes". Perhaps I'm used to ignoring these segways, but I'll be checking it out because of you. Thank you.
This is the most helpful video I’ve found on this subject. I’m working full time and a full time student and it’s so hard to sit down and concentrate on the things need to get done. I think knowing the *why* behind all this will really help with my procrastination problem.
Concrete example: I am a DIY musician with a home studio. I have an album written and ready to record. I recently set a rule forbidding myself from listening to recorded music. I can only listen to this album-in-progress. Dopamine from my favorite LPs was preventing this new one from existing. Then I dropped the ball for a few days - thanks for the reminder.
6:08 "When I'm CAMPING..." triggered my mind to a feeling like homesickness. Your description, 'going away for a week or so and focusing on very little, basic things...', mate, it's for those reasons I'd rather be out in the bush in the military Basic Training than sitting behind my desk seeing my legs turn to rubber and my strength falling off of me like falling leaves of a tree during autumn. Your video because of this is both a blessing and a torture.
There was this one time my WIFI had a problem and i wasn't able to use internet for a 2-3 weeks. First two or three days were pure suffering i couldn't live without it but then after few days i started to feel something different, i experience a little change in everyday routine like my daily habits, i start reading newspaper and books i had free time so i start working out as well, without internet i couldn't work but it made me realise something that im still following til this very day.
@@SamMartinPeakPerformance now I added it to my amazon book list (my promise to myself this week was to not got on amazon add some more books ^^) The question is : is this reversible ?
Hey Shivan (and thread)-- I'm with you on that one man and addiction should be a more alarming concern for us... I think the complexity is that we are all aware of its harmful effects, but are simply overwhelmed by the benefits of the activities themselves and second, for some people, when they look up from their screens, their community/world is dark and not enough to give inspiration to life (poverty, work life, terrible households, etc.) I wrote a Poem: Dopamine (my channel) if you want to check it out- Take care :)
Tasks seem difficult when you're only looking for how they help your personal goals and ambitions. Getting through "mundane" tasks is easier when you focus on how to be loving to others with your work, and take very good care of yourself in the process! Something that helps me is - when something frustrating or unpleasant confronts me, I silently remind myself "I'm only here to love", and my perspective shifts. By "love" I just mean being good to others, prioritizing their well-being, and taking care of myself in the process. For example, if I'm screwing bolts onto a car in a production line, focusing on how to better people's lives (in this case, realizing how securing the bolts safely will protect children's lives, etc.) rather than thinking about how bored I am or what I'm missing out on. Easier said than done, I know. Shitty bosses, inflexible and painful work, living paycheck to paycheck, etc. Life is hard, but everything we do has an impact, and if we make life better for others and take care of ourselves, we can have a better impact in this life.
"Waiting to be entertained." Kind of reminds me of one of those lazy kings who calls for a jester to entertain him. Except for us the jester is the internet. Rather than call on the jester and watch him dance, I think I'd rather manage my kingdom.
I went through too many self help videos. It's like I was kinda wanting to think that I am doing something towards my goal. But binge watching those videos wasn't actually any steps. Now I only watch your videos. This has helped a lot to understand things better!
My issue is this.....I overreacted to a negative thought/feeling a few years ago. That led me into a rabbit hole of youtube, google searching for depression this, anxiety that, remedies, therapies, cures, supplements etc...until after about two years. I just stopped.....and when I did that, I felt better. Instead of good days I had good weeks, even months. But then last November that dark cloud came back and what did I do??? The exact same thing as last time, so for once since I've owned a smart phone I will delete social media and just use it for phone calls and texts for 30 days. Because I know I can be in a good mood, but I'm so deep in that I cant even play with my kids because my mind is somewhere else. Wish me luck
@@vindovilles3419 thank you, I havent started yet but i will next month after I'm done moving. But i also took a health dna test to see how my neurochemistry is wired to see if I could biohack that or if I just need traditional therapy and it's all in my head lol. We'll see
@@vindovilles3419 hey sooooo....I got results back and it turns out I have the comt gg gene....which means it clears dopamine fast. This could explain why somedays I wake up in a good mood, ready to work out, listen to music, play with the kids etc, and some days just feel blah
Same, I do that. On the bright side, atleast now I know a lot about depression, anxiety and the neuroscience surrounding it Edit: nevermind, I now think I have a common COMT gene variation
I’m there too, was doing great in comparison to when i was dealing with depression/anxiety! I thought I’d discovered the solution albeit now the things I implemented to be better aren’t working! But I have faith they will again! The things I’m doing--eating healthy, exercising moderately, meditating and reducing screen time! I wish you well….you’ll get there!
I definitely agree. Social media is a compete poison to modern day society. That’s why I deleted all social media besides RUclips. And I really try to limit my time on RUclips as well.
There's noting inherently wrong with social media, you just have to be selective with the type. I think of it like choosing friends: be mindful of the company you keep.
@@Remy.- There is no problem with my outlook, only your interpretation. Heroin is a highly addictive drug detrimental to good healthy and with no positive benefits.
@@krane15 when you have pure heroin it gets broken down into morphine in your system. People have been known to get morphine administered in the hospital for years and years and have no internal damage. Its not that neurotoxic. Also there are multiple people (highly educated and succesfull) like Dr. Carl Hart who use heroin regularly and say it has greatly increased their enjoyment of life and connection with family members.
I can't thank you enough for this video, especially for citing scientific papers. Most of the self improvement videos do not rely on this, and that makes me unwilling to accept what they say. I thought I was going to lose my mind before I found out this video; I cannot concentrate on the basic tasks like studying or even taking care of myself. I needed this so much, again, thank you. I took notes of everything and I'll do the exercise for me not to fall again on this vicious and torturous circle of scrolling, searching irrelevant stuff and watching 'naughty' things, as you said.
Jims haha yeah, once I start I can usually get into a rhythm, but then when I stop for a second I’m tempted to open the browser up and then I can throw 15-30 mins out the window without realizing it.
I been so distracted for a long time that I’m scared of coming back to real life n real work , because I feel like I don’t have it, I don’t have it in me to focus n work for 8 hours a day or to talk about my profession But this helps n I got get back at it the right way
man if you ever feel down, just know that you made a great change in my life. keep up the work, just know that you helped one person. I hope this makes you sleep well at night.
I agree that especially with quarantine, we're all internet addicts. It's so hard to reduce screen time when your work, friends, and most of your life are all online.
It's strange because quarantine was the one thing that made me so bored of staring at a screen that I would do anything like skateboarding, chess, playing instruments, writing even juggling. I miss quarantine for that reason. Instead of these hobbies being too tiring to do after a normal day I had all the time and boredom in the world.
I had lost hope in self-improvement, until this video. This is the right type of content, not solution-focused but why based. It explains why you procrastinate, not how to stop it. Thank you, looking forward your content.
I can’t even watch a youtube video without reading the comments at the same time
Damn same
Same
Same here
I feel attacked. You literally caught me not even 2 minutes in to the video.
Lol same
I remember being a kid before the smartphone revolution. There was nothing more exciting than going in the woods or teaming up on friends with air soft guns.
That's actually sounds fun
Those were the days
I agree. I grew up and lived my life before the big smartphone boom. I always went outside and did stuff
I had a very strict mom so I wasnt allowed to play outside. Such a waste
Yep I completely agree miss those days
The phone has pretty much singlehandedly destroyed my appreciation for books. And I used to read all the time.
I loved books too, but I love my phone more. A month ago I bought my first book on Kindle. It changed everything. My brain thinks I'm on my phone, but I'm actually reading at midnight under the blankets. It's really great!
i just bought 2 books in tangible, paper format so i can do it away from my phone. my thoughts are too scattered
Same and it’s depressing. My memory used to be amazing too
I always had an apreciation for books for some reason, i like going to my school library and read.
Same, now it's difficult for me to even read a page
Phone addiction is like sugar, digital sugar
More like crack
@@TyroneBiggums789 not even a joke dude that's right on
@@itsreach3537 oh I know, I’m addicted as fuck and have been logged out of all accounts except for 1 hour allowed on RUclips at night, started a few days ago and I feel like I’m going through withdrawals with anxiety and panic
Sugar Phone!
Even the simple activity of sitting down in a quiet room and reading a book for 30 minutes and focusing on nothing except the book entirely changes my mood. It's nice and calming.
YES, IT IS! 😍🥰❤️
Yup, I've started reading books again and I can approve. Aside from factual texts I had never really liked reading fiction, or at least I thought that... But I bought the Martian and finished in 4 days last week (which in my case is a personal record). I really tried to give it my undivided atttention. It was hard at first but I threw my dumb phone away and continued with reading and after each session my mind felt really refreshed. Something I hadn't felt for a good while.
I love Adderall and I love ripping ass. Those are my two loves in my life
But that’s also a dopamine production activity ain’t it?
@@Bennettone there is nothing wrong with dopamine. It's not the chemical that's the issue, it's the misuse of it. As was explained in the video, we can receive hits of dopamine from anything that we think will reward us. So why not retrain that mechanism to benefit us more. Instead of being slaves to self-esteem shredders like social media, we can start learning a skill. That's a positive shift in the application of the dopamine chemical. We can finish a book or create something. That is so much more healthy of a dopamine hit. Dopamine is not a dirty word, and it is totally misunderstood
This video is too stimulating. Now I’ll never be able to focus again.
U are a gamer
No need to focus 😂😒
@@ahmedsherif286 hah
But good gamer also focusing (for what is different question). It's like Joey's video about types of watching movies
He’s too distracting 😏🤤
Dang, I remember when you first started your channel for mineplex 😐
😭💀😂
I was born in 2001. I remember from the 1st half of my childhood when none of us had smartphones, game consoles, ipads, netflix, or just anything that would keep us inside. Everyday I would be outside with my friends/neighbors playing soccer, tag, exploring, or just being kids, without the mental "burden" of having to constantly refresh your feed. Man I miss those days; I feel like I was actually living and being a social human during that time.
I was born in that year too, and I did get to experience a taste of that. Simpler times they were. Much simpler. Small things seemed exciting
I was born in 2002 and i feel this way as well. I want to just get a flip phone at this point. The technological revolution is a disaster
It’s a trip to think about. After hundreds of thousands of years of human existence, our age group will be the very last to remember a time without this technology. Unless the world destroys itself or something.
@@LatestSquash fingers crossed
I remember this, it was a time where social media wasn’t as prevalent. I remember my older sister playing the games on Facebook. FarmVille. WolfQuest was another favorite of hers. I played Scribblenauts, Webkinz, Clubpenguin, NeedforSpeed, MarioKart, etc. I can’t say any of it was bad for me other than having a lack of sleep, but I’ve always stayed up late, no matter what there was to stimulate me. I miss having a small backyard and living in a close community. Having neighborhood friends and finding shenanigans to do with them is more enjoyable than anything. I moved out West in the state later in my childhood and it just caused me to be more reclusive. The atmosphere was slow and the ways of life seemed to have aged.
I really notice this effect when I attend LARP events where we would live like people from the Middle Ages for several days. I would turn off my phone entirely, not even look at the time etc. So we would tend to the fire, cook stew in a cauldron, talk to people, knit and sew, wander around etc all day long. One night at such an event a friend told me that the priestess was going to stop by our camp to tell some stories by the fire. I was ridiculously excited and couldn't wait. After she had finished telling the first story we begged her to tell another one and another one. I was so amazed how hearing some stories by the fire could suddenly be the highlight of my day simply because there was no constant overstimulation.
This made me cry
The amount of wholesome nerdiness in this comment was amazing. I think I want some of that.
I think on a spiritual level people were a lot more happy and harmonic in for example the Middle Ages. I can only imagine the sense of community that would exist in a rural pre-industrial village.
Omg where do I go and who do I talk to to attend these events? This sounds amazing
@Andres You seem to have life in the Middle Ages confused with some kind of Hollywood image.
"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."
--Oscar Wilde
Ironic. You quoted oscar wilde
The irony of this comment.
so true
Most of what we are is an inheritance anyway....even the language you are using, you did not originate, so no need to judge.
Most people who talk about "most people" are just like them.
There’s been 1 year and a half since I uninstalled facebook and instagram and it’s incredible how my life changed. It seems like I live in a different world than most people. I don’t know and don’t care about what’s happening in other people’s lives, which gives me more time to think about mine, and I study a lot and still have time to read even though I’m in med school. I recommend (honestly I urge) people to reduce drastically their online time and start living the real life again. It pays off!
Thanks Milena I will have to try this!
Same! What's funny is people almost get angry when you tell them you don't have these things anymore and they just don't get it!
I need to do this
I’ve done this. People don’t understand why, maybe one day they will. People are so ignorant that it makes me sad for them. This is how people live and it’s horseshit. I hope one day they will find themselves.
i so wish i could do this, but i’m part of a national society that has so many people I’d like to keep track of all over the country. I want to know what everyone is up too since i don’t see them often 🤧
I’ve told my friends for years, our brains were not made for the technology we have. We abuse the amount of stimulation we get. I try to get them to stop the mindless scrolling. No, we probably can’t avoid social media completely, but we can look only when we have a purpose.
Been telling my friends for a while now that "we're basically still apes, just with fancy new toys".
Yes exactly, thats why social media has caused alot of people mental health issues, because this type of entertainment isnt natural and its actually damaging
I only use RUclips and I stay with my old iPhone because it does fast,so if I start mindlessly scrolling it dies and I can go read.
💯
I agree
I never had social media till i went to college, I studied well and had a great work ethic. But once I joined college, got my own phone and social media, things started going down and i have become addicted. I was constantly opening twitter reading hot takes, people ratioing each other, etc. I have enjoyed it , learnt a lot became that "cool" person but I was miserably addicted. My grades were bad, and self control was very difficult.
that’s why it is ruining our attention spans and making us lose focus ness in being more attentive instead of disorientated in concentrating on subjects that matter.
You wonder why the statistics and diagnoses for increase of ADHD diagnoses are increasing by 25% and it’s very scary whilst sounding like a dystopian fictional novel.
too much distraction that’s why I barely watch tv or use anymore. And goes for social media they are all distractions in my life and aren’t helping me focus and do what I need to get done and completed.
Dude my story is exactly the same, how did you overcome it ? Please I need guidance to quit my addiction of phone
@@akashnd5293 delete your accounts - not just the apps, the accounts!! I have NO social media, except RUclips kind of and I don't have this problem anymore. I used to look at Reddit all the time and I just had to full on delete it. I don't miss it at all.
I read several books a month, my house is very clean, my dogs and family get lots of attention. I also typically exercise every day. You don't immediately have to jump into anything or prove anything to anyone but to get that monkey off your back, you need to delete your accounts AND apps. Nothing on there is worth your misery.
If you have to touch your phone, get a NYT or Atlantic subscription. You read tons of interested news and can come and go as needed. At least you'll learn a lot. Best of luck, you got this!
Do you think social media was the reason you got bad grades?
That's my case right now, I'm still in high school, but ever since I got a phone, everything has just been going downhill
"All man's miseries derive from not being able to sit quietly in a room alone."
- Blaise Pascal
One of the greatest quotes of all time and absolutely true
To just exist
Ironic that sitting quietly in a room alone is basically all we do now, and we've never been more miserable lol
@@charlesrebbel6580 Exactly -- this is a time where we would be BEST served being able to to quietly sit alone, but our inability to do so compounds the misery
Well
Turning off your phone and leaving it at home makes a huge difference too
These things are like crack man
That's deep man but I hope y'all r having good health out doors fun life's because crack ain't a good thing🤣
You are right. Too right.
@@micker9830 before smartphones, I remember I used to be terribly bored. I always carried a book or a notepad to scratch doodles
well phones are good for emergencies or essential communications. Just learn to moderate it.
@@Allenzo04 ill just die thanks
"Feel physical pain to do the hard things again." - 100% felt that
yaa bro. I almost convinced myself that maybe am feeling pain on hard things because I should not do that as a human anymore
I feel the same way too. I cant even get started on anything. Just sooo painful
the only way to get things done if u dont want to is forcing yourself.
Definitely. I think I'm just like this all the time. I've been thinking about downgrading from Smartphone.
Damn I need to go to the gym.
It’s a real issue with people with ADHD like myself. I already have a hard time focusing on menial tasks let alone concentrate on anything. Now this world has so much stimulation I find myself having over-stimulation paralysis where I disconnect myself from everything because of how overwhelming it feels
Even worse is the fact that unhealthy overstimulating activities are far more addictive for us ADHD people.
I'm at a point now where I'm going to have severely limit my time online in order to catch up on everything else in my life....after just one more video....
Yes I understand. I don't have ADHD but I have phases where everything is just "too loud" and I feel lost then. Then I need some absolutely quiet time. No people, no radio, nothing. And then it feels so liberating to just be in the moment
Same
"You're waiting to be entertained."
Woah.
This is basically how I became such a passive person
I remember being younger and thinking "why I am always waiting for things to go the way I want it to be, to please or entertain me?"
Still got a lot of progress to do to be more proactive
4it4k “Youre waiting to *woah* “
dopamine (poem): ruclips.net/video/cMsZtx77G44/видео.html
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED
@@younggrasshopper3531 bahaha
i’ve seriously lost any existing attention span i had. i will be sitting on my phone with nothing to do, just switching between apps, hoping something will pop up. i can’t even watch youtube anymore because i’m so used to watching 10 second tiktoks, not even a 5 minute video can keep my attention.
same for me. it's terrifying
I'm really struggling to watch this video haha I've paused it several times
Sameeeee
I personally look at comments in the same time in order to stay on a video
TikTok really fucked my attention span
I studied this over the quarantine, and came to a conclusion:
1. Find a good level of stimulation (physically, socially, mentally) daily
2. Going too low or too high on the stimulation meter will put you off balance, and create negative momentum making you feel worse in the long run
3. Allow room for pleasure and high stimulating experiences or life will become dull and your drive will diminish quickly
4. Dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins are your pleasure chemicals, be conscious of these when your feeling average
Homeostasis of the mind, just like the body.
That was really good! Thanks
Thank you for writing this. I think our behavior should be a more alarming concern for us... during quarantine, I actually wrote a poem: Dopamine (on my channel) that is similar to what your thread is saying. If you want to check it out! -- Take care :)
That poem was great! Highly recommend watching Kristian Flores’s video!
@@kristianxventura The poem was amazing...well done bud
It is definitely something I've noticed. Simply forcing yourself to start doing something that you know is good for you is a big step in the right direction. I want to get to the point where making conscious decision to stop doing super stimulating stuff is natural, easy to convince yourself through logic. The same way I know that I can jump into a colder body of water and feel comfortable in it after a minute.
I can’t believe how much this man, who I’ve never met, has helped my life in a matter of weeks.
Well he is no man. but yes
Believe it or not, this might be the most important post you'll read
Everyone of us has broken God's moral law, the Ten Commandments. We have all lied, stolen, hated and lusted. And James 2:10 states that breaking one of the Commandments makes us guilty of breaking them all. Problem is, we can never outweigh our sins through good works because the Creator is perfect in Holiness, meaning His standard is far above ours. And He is also perfect in Justice, meaning not a single sin will go unpunished. And the punishment of sin is being cast into hell, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth with no end. Ever.
Fortunately, God is also perfect in love, so 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ left His throne in Heaven and came to this earth as a man. He lived a perfect, sinless life and He so loved us, that He took the punishment of our sin, when He suffered horribly on the cross. Isaiah 53 tells us that his face was marred beyond recognition and that he suffered more than any man. But right before His death, Jesus said "It is finished" meaning the the debt for our sins was paid in full. But on the 3rd day, Jesus conquered death and He was resurrected. So that means now, we can go free from the wrath of God's judgment not by earning it, but rather as a free gift of grace, if you accept Jesus. But, a gift can either accepted or rejected.
So if you want to accept the free gift or forgiveness, of grace, and of salvation, this is what you should do:
Humbly admit to God that you have sinned against Him, and through gratitude in the sacrifice of His Son, repent (turn away) from your old sinful ways. Then, confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, your Savior. Believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and was resurrected 3 days later. Roman's 10:9 and 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 says that if you do this you are saved. I'm not telling you to get religious, because Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship with God. Religion says DO, but Jesus Christ says DONE! Ephesians 2:8-9 says For it is by grace we are saved through faith, not of works, lest any man should boast.
And the moment you do this, God will grant you a new heart, which does not take pleasure in sin and He will give you eternal life. Nothing on this earth even close to compares to what awaits believers.
What you do with this information will determine where you will be for Eternity; meaning accepting Christ is the single most important decision you'll EVER make. And all of us here, believer or atheist, know that this is very true.
Jesus Christ wants YOU to come to Him this very moment; don't even think about sleeping until you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, because your tomorrow isn't guaranteed. You could die at any moment. Hebrews 9: 27 "It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this, the Judgment."
All praise and honor to Jesus Christ, King of kings, Lord of lords.
Each of the few videos I watched from him have changed the way I see something
@@jesusisking3814 I think i'll keep sinning, thanks :)
@@jesusisking3814 Sharing the gospel is the most loving thing you can do for someone!
Walking in the forest by yourself and listening sounds of nature is extremely relaxing and therapeutic. People living in major cities probably don't experience this very often. Being in an artificial park in the middle of a city just doesn't do the trick.
They just built a park close to downtown L.A. I gotta say it’s more exciting than regular parks. Something about parks near the big city is pretty calming.
You can usually find nature in the city too. Watch birds, ants, grass pushing up through cracks in the sidewalk, spiders, clouds. Look and you will find.
I literally live in a forest and I barely do this, instead most of the time staying in the house on my phone. I really need to get out more and collect my thoughts alone... and possibly collect medicinal/nutritious plants
@@suen5006 It's because they don't see birds and insects the same way they see the other uncommon animals.
Not really. Only pedophiles hang around in woods by themselves
My PhD dissertation was on dopamine signaling in the brain. This is really well done. Importantly, one of the key things you said was dopamine is released when you "might" get a reward. The key word here is might. The uncertainty about getting something rewarding is what keeps you doing that "thing". E.g scrolling endlessly through your phone in the hope you'll see something cool
Can you tell us please in what field your phd is?
The fact that a might is more rewarding than certainty of that reward is funny to me😂
id like to read it
i would love to read it! i’m a first year psychology major :)
Is it also relatable to anxiety?
I’m here a year later but I’m glad to see this video. I made a decision to be ‘present’ in the world and more absent in the Internet world. It’s so much more satisfying. Swimming, exercising, going to concerts, doing crafts with my grandkids, learning to play ukulele. Handwriting letters. Handwriting in my journal. Reading actual books. This has made my life completely different. My life is so much better.
I'll take this potato chip, AND EAT IT
😂😂😂
☠📓 that show was so good it needs more seasons
Excellent reference sir
Im so happy Joe knows this reference
And 69th like? This comment is now very special to me
YAGAMIIII
Pretty rewarding to watch this after a hard day of work.
@@brandonbh04 yes.
@Vela S gotta love the internet judges.
Hey. Back to work. 😉
@@ace3998 I feel you!!! I work two jobs but quit the one where things like you described are happening. Now I’m slowly going to use that time to build my own small business! It’s tough because of the dopamine distractions, but I’m learning to have discipline which is rewarding! I’m far from perfect or ‘normal’ by others standards but I’m happy I have something to work towards. Hopefully you can find a dream, big or small that you can maybe work for. Then you will be less tired!
fucking mood
Basically limit all dopamine inducing activities like:
Video Games
Social Media
Drugs
P0rn
Junk Food
Netflix
Even some types of fiction books.
If you don’t sacrifice for the things that you want the things that you want becomes the sacrifice.
You got this guys!
What the fuck should I so all day without These Things?🤣 What’s the alternatives ?? I like Watching Movies 2-3 per Week. Playin Video games with my Friends 2-3 per week. Im addicted to fast Food and porn ??
I gotta cut out every pleasure possible? Nah bro, that it ain’t it. Moderation is key
"pu$$y & religion is all i need"
@@pmueller1 Yea you definitely can be addicted to fast food and porn. I recommend trying to see if you can easily stop using porn. If you find it difficult, you're an addict.
Honestly I feel like there's a gray area with gaming, but that's a debate for another day.
uhhhhh what else to live for friend
After watching this, i had a think about the relevance of what you were saying, to my life…then I went and did the best workout I’ve done in months. I would usually take a break in between to check Facebook and such, but after watching this, I decided against it. Felt the best I’ve felt in a long time.
I now realise how dumb I’ve been that something that simple could affect my workout and overall mood. I also started to realise how my depression most likely partially stemmed and continues to partially stem from the easy reward system, because of the lack of satisfaction I have in my real life.
Thank you for this video.
This is one of the reasons why I want to get rid of my smartphone. As I've gotten older, I've gotten glued to my phone more and more, to the point where I spend at least 24 hours, if not more, a week staring at a screen. I seriously am so ready to downgrade back to the phones we had back in the early 2010s/late 2000s.
Well, why would you want to get rid of smartphones? They're too useful
@@BuickGeek24 I’m too addicted to it. It’s useful, but not necessary. It’s too easy to get sucked in when it’s right there. That’s not to say I want to get rid of smartphones as whole, just mine. I think I’d be in a better place mentally without it. That’s just me though. Others may find smartphones beneficial to their life. I just feel it’s done more harm than good to mine. Does that make sense?
Why don’t you try massively scaling back the apps you have installed? Uninstall all social media apps, including RUclips, and instead only have the fundamentals - messaging, maps, music, etc.
I’ve found a lot of what I sink wasted time into on the phone are algorithmic platforms like Instagram or RUclips. Ones designed, engineered even, to keep me tapping, scrolling and watching.
@@Brootnoodle I literally destroyed both of my I-Phones with zero regret(s).
@@BuickGeek24 Useful can lead to your demise if they are used against you.
RUclips really is my kryptonite. I love learning and I am interested in everything. Sounds amanzing but I am getting no work done man. RUclips's got me in its grip.
same here… i’m starting to freak out. not getting into uni if i don’t start studying instead of consuming hours and hours of yt.
Same bro youtube is one of those things were you think, “ah it’s not that bad, it’s not like other social media and it’s educational” but the problem is 80% of the shit you learn on youtube ends up being useless knowledge that you forget, you don’t get shit done that you’re actually meant to do and unlike other social media, you’re not socializing with other people AT ALL
@@dsrtsnw I'm warning you now, that will not stop just because you get a job. I'm proof. We need to fight
i miss the old youtube where you had to think of something to search for in order to watch something there was no home page or explore tab that pushes a specific list of videos to keep us watching as long as possible
@@johndoe-yz9de Putin would not approve
Doing things you don't want to do:
If you wake up and go on your phone or your computer for an hour, going on a walk isn't going to be fun at all
If you wake up and stare at the wall for an hour, going on a walk is going to sound pretty good compared to what you're doing
I’ve been in a funk with my motivation lately. This icky feeling is almost always either created or fuelled by the desire for instant gratification- whether it’s using my phone constantly and always having something playing, or buying prepared food vs cooking, skipping my workout etc. It’s a wormhole honestly. I came back to this video as a reminder before I delete my unwanted social media apps and turn off notifications.
How’d it go ?
@@user-gd4xc2sl5oit went well for a bit, but being consistent definitely is hard. I’m back to wanting to limit it again.
Cellphones are the new smoking. They have replaced cigarettes in everyday life. Just look around at people throughout the day. Every break, any time someone is waiting for something, any time people would have had a cigarette when smoking was more prevalent they now go for their phone.
and it would be interesting to consider if the negative impact on health is even higher than that of smoking.
nico freiler i smoke bunch while browsing social media
It’s probably the case for a lot of people, but there are so many productive things we can do with phones if we use the more valuable apps. It just depends how people use it.
Thank you for writing this, Mike. You know, our behavior should be a more alarming concern for us... during quarantine, I wrote a poem: Dopamine (on my channel) that has everything to do with what this thread is saying. If you want to check it out, mate! -- Take care :)
Got u. Will smash my phone, probably
Really enjoyed the natural background, it was refreshing.
Who else is procrastinating by watching a video about why we procrastinate
I am. And I will stop from now on.
@@7thsky585 lol
me 🥲
Me!
..... And this is the perfect video to cut myself off of RUclips.
I found and subscribed to your channel tonight.
I've been going through the roughest chapter in my 38 years of life. Feeling stuck would be an understatement, but you're really making sense to me right now. Thank you 🙏
Hey man, I'm 30 and in the same boat as you. Hope you're doing better now. This video helped me too, getting off RUclips now to finish some laundry and cook myself dinner
A notification to make me ashamed of feeling good about getting notifications...
That's some meta stuff right there
Lol same
😭👍
I just don't have notifications on for any channels. When it's time to watch youtube(after work and a walk with my dog) I just check my subscription box what is new. I don't watch videos randomly during the day even if I got notified, but then again I'm never in the early "notification squad" getting likes on my comments. But I still enjoy the vids.
@@ninjal7588 The whole 'notification squad' thing is cringe even to most people who click on notifications as soon as they appear to be fair
Anyone else feel like they're addicted to staying in bed so you don't have to bother with existing outside of your head?
more like outside the screen lol
try meditation and then say that staying inside your head is easy
Probably depression and anxiety
@@michaeld4861 agreed if you stay inbed you should meditation to help relax the nervous system
What you wrote Is sometimes true. Nevertheless I believe in you! Take care man!
Depends what I'm dreaming about 😜
Anyone feeling like they’re addicted to their phones...
Download Focus me... But well my laptop...
Yes, I made phone detox
Nope... but I'm definitely addicted to coffee 😂
Na, only addicted to RUclips, which I consume on my computer most of the time.
Yes 😭😭
great explaination! I got rid of my smartphone and switched to a lightphone and its one of the best decisions ive made in the last decade. working on reducing laptop time now. thanks for this
What is lightphone?
@@supremeleader5516 what’s google
@@supremeleader5516 it’s a dumb phone alternative
This is true. I’ve intentionally been reducing self gratifying activities and the difference in clarity of mind is remarkable
I know what you mean. I'm a huge gamer, to the point where it gets in the way of doing important things. In the past, I've taken breaks from gaming (a few days to a couple weeks), and my mind feels SO much better. My attention span increases tenfold, my productivity quadruples, and I feel more relaxed and less pushed for time.
The thing is being aware of it. I quit social media, my smart phone is only with me twice a day, and I spend my time doing things I love and not caring if anyone knows (socials). It's been liberating and the inner growth has been a godsend. Awareness is key.
@TK W do you have any tips or a summary of how you accomplished kicking the habit?!
@@noedoublell I think it's like cold turkey is for drugs. I admit having a computer inches away to distract is habit and we have to be willing to stop our own need for escapism.....so how do we do that?
If you meditate with high self - that helps.
But just very simply admit you want to escape, ask yourself why, and then choose different. Over & over & over until THAT is the habit.
There has been many a time where I wished I had the distraction but went to that 5 sense grounding exercise instead.
I think to stop is to be mindful that you want to. 🙏❤️
Same. People don't realize what a time suck it is. I go off social for months at a time even though I'm nowhere near as addicted to it as most people, I just see it for what it, irrelevant to my joy and success in life. I bake and cook new recipes, workout, run, hike, bike, read take a walk, talk to my family, meditate, organize, clean, listen and dance and sing to music. I mean there's sooo much one can do without a damn screen!
@@Darima2 that sounds so boring, to be honest. It sounds like your life is from some movie. The things you said aren't THAT interesting. They could entertain for maybe a couple days and the I would be bored again
@@Darima2 That sounds awesome, you've got it worked out
I like to think of it as "downshifting" my brain. When I'm chasing stimulation, social media food, etc., it feels like my brain is in a higher gear, and if I try to slow down and do something valuable but less stimulating like writing, it just kills the engine. But if I avoid the mindless scrolling and eating for a while, and only do those things mindfully, with a purpose, my brain downshifts, and I can find pleasure in what's important to me. The ways we have to hack our brains now.
How long have you noticed it takes to downshift?
@@patrickcops5549 For me, a few days to a week. But making it an actual part of my lifestyle has been a longer change over years.
I like that….being mindful and downshifting. I have to do more of this. Well said!
That's actually very helpful, my neurodivergent brain functions on analogies
Wow, what an awesome way to think about it. Thank your for writing this
I don't know why, but i keep coming back to this video whenever i feel stressed. The way you describe how dopamine works, or what reactions are ocurring in our brain, helps me to better understand that this is part of the natural process.
I'm definitely overestimated and it's exhausting. I'm utterly antisocial and simply want calm again, like I was before the internet. Thanks for this!
You mean over-stimulated?
@@lilypad2 She spelled it wrong because she's far too overstimulated. Lol
This comment is underestimated.
Hey Christopher! Have you changed something since our commented here?
I think you’re overestimating Christopher..😅
Getting rid of the smart phone and down grading to a flip phone was the best choice I've ever made. It's like with the smart phone you are a digital zombie passively watching life. Or other people's lives. And you are a slave to checking your device hundreds of times a day.
Once I down graded I finally felt like I was an active participant in life again. My quality of life went up and my overall happiness skyrocketed. I was finally free to live again.
May I ask if the smart phone was your primary problem? I'm using an acient Galaxy S4, which can do everything I need it to do and little more and I'm reluctand to upgrade because I know, with 8 times the storage capacity and other advancements, I'd use my phone a whole lot more than I do now (I really only use it for messaging and music).
However, I'm absolutely sucked in by my computer, so I think I'll need to approach the problem there.
@@jayhill2193 yup,I use mine for music and occasionally look up videos on life advice like this one.
I used to joke about the zombie apocalypse and then you look around and realize its already here, in the form of a smartphone.
I'm seriously considering this, specially because it reminds me of Star Trek. Does whatsapp works on flip phones? That's really the only concern I have since I'm bound to it for work and university stuff.
@@thenot-so-smartfox4145 honestly, deleting social media apps helps immensely (not including whatsapp in this). I still have a smartphone but removed Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter. Smartphones are useful for things like having tickets readily available, a decent camera, mobile banking, etc. I have a couple simple games like Solitaire for when I want a distraction, like waiting in line in the bathroom avoiding eye contact lol.
Honestly man, I just started watching your videos & Im already feeling a shift in my mindset. You really put things in perspective & your editing skills are amazing. Thank you bro 🙏
me too..and I'm 68
I’ve already deleted all my socials now (except RUclips obv), but the main thing keeping me overstimulated is listening to music all the time and envisioning the life I want instead of actually working towards it and doing the things I’m envisioning. Now I know I have to also pull way back on my music intake because it’s holding me back from what I know I need to do to reach my goals. This was a great video, thank you for the reminder to enjoy the little things and ALLOW myself to experience life in the moment.
He is so minimal, even the amount of hair in his body is at minimum.
Hahahaha maybe i did not get the enough amount of dopamine today but actually this comment make me laugh so hard xd
operating at maximum efficiency
I bet the other areas of his body has his hair maximum
a e r o d y n a m i c
Its not minimal bro, its completely gone
Gosh deactivating facebook was one of the best things I ever did by my own accord
I took a long break from social media and I haven’t really had the desire to go back. Life is just better without it.
@Randy Lahey photonic probably means social networking
I got rid of all my social media except Signal as a means of communication. Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat gone in a week. It feels great to have so much time
@@photoniccannon2117 Same, I had to turn on Facebook again because there are some groups there I need for college, but it doesn't pull me any more even as a distraction. Same with LinkedIn and Twitter and Instagram. I tried not commenting a lot on you tube except under specific channels, so there's not much of social interaction there as well. It really helps to have a clearer mind.
@@But_WhatIf how much time were you spending on them lol? I wasn't even spending that mcuh time on Facebook, I just found it exhausting to interact with content or messages
Guys will give you my two cents based on true story: I’ve been sick last summer, had to spent 15 days in the hospital without being able to eat, to sleep well, to do anything except for laying down on a bed.
When I start recovering I remember I was hungry for knowledge: i started reading and have been reading 3 books in 6 days. The thing is that if you are bored anything seems interesting
how are u now are u still into reading?
@@LawAbidingSociopath69 I’m a lot better right now, but went back to work, I’m consultant and work life balance is pretty aufull. Can say I never experienced that kind of feeling. I want to try again to fast and avoid phone/social/etc. because the sensation you have when reading books is amazing. Is literally like your brain is eating knowledge because he want to use it to rule the world. Time is an immense asset.
I remember i red somewhere that Ancient Greek philosophers used fasting as a tool to stimulate brain. I think it’s a nature tool: if you cannot satisfy your need you’ll be hungry for tools to use for your goals.
@@parlocosizarathustra so fasting like no eating food help brains also?
@@LawAbidingSociopath69 yes it does
@@AdrianDanielGuard what to do if we feel hungry?
I totally agree with what you're saying here! I got hooked on social media during a very difficult time in my life. I guess it helped when I needed the distraction but now I'm having a hard time putting it away!
deleted all my social media apps two weeks ago and started reading a book thanks to your video's! thanks, i'm a rough reader and i've only done like 80 pages so far, but i'm starting to enjoy it
Yea keep telling yourself that.While you are at it go buy yourself a cave to live in.
@@lazarusblackwell6988 say your addicted to procastination and go
I am struggling with this addicted to internet and struggling to get back into reading a good book and reading really slow and sometimes I get really frustrated and bored as I am turning the pages and reading can't relax enough to enjoy the process of reading
reading online has improved my already good ability to read books somehow. i realized that i read a sentence in a frame or two somehow
@@ThoseWhoKnowBalkan why do u measure time as frames
Dude how do you make videos on the exact area of my life I'm struggling with? This has been literally me the last few months, overstimulating, refreshing social media, waiting for something to happen. Thanks man this is why my notifications are on.
P.S Please never change your calm mannerism & voice, I can't stand those improvement channels that YELL LIKE I'M ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HOUSE
Pff same man. Working on a busines and instead of creating content I keep checking the likes of my social media posts....this video really helped. I also like the calm voice he has! also One of the reasons why i don't watch motivational videos because the voice is just too in my face
This is legitimately so relevant right now. I think this is the RUclips video that actually might save my brain instead of feed it’s stress. Thank you.
I really miss my connection with music production and being creative. The rewards are immense. Something especially I remember as a kid. Today, and for the last several years. My addiction with playing on my phone seems to get worse. To add insult to injury, the more I realize my problem, it sometimes drives me even further into the ground.. on the same note however, It’s making me start to seek help through videos and articles online.
Same here. Get back to music is the answer - before it's too late!
Yea man like the other guy said go back to music, sometimes its best to do things u liked doin as a kid/younger , it brings u back to ur roots where u feel comfortable
When I see my mother reading books, not very interesting ones too, for a long period of time, that's another hint for the same process.
She wasn't raised with my level of dopamine stimulation. She is used to being bored. So she can handle boring tasks much better and do more useful stuff.
Yes but I don’t think she’s bored when reading for a long period of time. I think we don’t have the same perspective and definition of being bored than our parent’s generation
Being bored is a mind killer so having moderative bad habits like Gaming are nothing wrong with it but just try to enter flow state(creative mode dancing and drawing etc) now and then it's fine :).
Reading has more to do with attention span. If you can't sit still long enough to read/concentrate, then you probably have a learning disability(ADHD, ADD). It has nothing to do with "being used to doing boring things."
@@pinkbouquet1955 adhd and blablabla is bs... things created to make us take medicine we dont need. If im reading something that isnt me i wont focus. If im reading something i love i will focus. Its that easy, but we are so trapped on our minds that we dont even know what we love.
Am I the only one who actually *enjoys* reading?
Honestly though, attacking an antelope with the squad still sounds really exciting
Except I wouldn't kill it. I'd make it a nice pet.
About 2 weeks ago, I was walking in a woodland area in northern England and I saw a deer, it was a beautiful creature. We looked at each other for a while, I wondered if it was suspicious of me. I was a bit worried it would try and attack me, but I just walked on and it left. That was an interesting experience.
It really is! Even popping some bushytails can be exciting
That's how it feels like when folks get together in a game to go kill a superboss.
me kill the horn creature, tribe have food. Me feel strong emotion👍
Probably one of the few good things about being autistic is that there is a natural aversion to being overstimulated, so I have largely lived a life free of most of these problems. Unfortunately, it has also made it hard for me to realize why it might be such a problem for others. Thanks for shining light on this topic, man.
I experience the problem for others part on a daily, wish you well :)
I 100% agree. I’m not necessarily diagnosed with autism, but I have been with ADD. There’s countless amounts of times where I have to just sit in silence, let my senses rest. I’m also a hippie, so I absolutely adore the natural landscape of the world
You lucked out to have not experienced those things - I have one autistic friend who’s absolutely obsessed with games and computers because he says the world rejects him. I wish I could get him to stop, but we are adults now and I really don’t know what to tell him :(
@@Anna-po1sb Well, if i felt like the world rejected me, thatd be my way of telling someone "i dont feel accepted and im happy doing this thing i love!". I play fames like 8 hours a day and i dont even mean to because its my safe space, im 23 and completely functional in public i think! Sometimes it might be more about perspective. Maybe they might even wanna spend that time with you but is too afraid to ask, ya never know. Hopefully he finds his comfort elsewhere as well and you get a happy ending with your friend :)
@@notbryun I wish we could - young adult life is very busy and we live far away from each other :( I saw him recently and he got into cooking which I think is a great thing
I really needed this. I've been a slave to the internet and have had trouble doing my summer projects for my AP classes that require reading books, analyzing, and in general things that require me to apply myself. Thank you for making this video!
Dude I’m at the point where even improvement videos like this are tough to sit through. I love your stuff, and I know I needed to watch this, but I admit it did sit in my recommended for a while.
I low-key feel watched cause the timing of your videos are always on point with whatever's going on in my life. 👀
Johnny sinns teaching people how to stimulate yourself properly.
He would look awesome with a beard.
@@gorilafrommanila ok coomer
@@kidflersh7807 yeah, he looks like the coomer XD
more like Zuck
Hmmm, quite the choice of words there
I might not going to be back anytime soon as RUclips is one of my doomscrolling destinations. But I wanted to thank you for creating this video. After quite a long time wondering whats wrong, hearing you call this internet addiction made me realize, it is an addiction and has more weight than my initial thought. Not only that, your advice to create a list really clicked on me and helped me found a solution that I have been looking for quite some time. Once again, thanks 👍
Just deleted my social media . Staying on RUclips for educational purposes.
Sure you are, we all say that, youtube is the devil
I got off of social media roughly 3 years ago and it was simply the best thing ive ever done. I dont miss anything about it. It took my wife a number of months to finally stop asking me "have you seen this... or have you heard about so and so" ect ect. My guilty pleasure is youtube and some video games here and there but mostly i read books or study the stock market or look into home improvement projects and wood working. I would give anything for everyone to get off the curse that is social media.
@@jamesbondage03 same, except I quit videogames too. Also I quit talking shit online years ago. I watch motivational videos like Goggins everyday too.
Yeah and u use ignocito lmao
get the chrome extension distraction free youtube, you can block things like recommended videos, subscriptions and comments so you aren't just watching videos for the sake of it
As an alcoholic in recovery, I realized about this on my first days of sobriety after starting to become obsessive with other things in life that would provide me "immediate pleasure" (like in the video says: scroll down on social media waiting for something interesting to happen, and suddenly, I realized I spent hours to actually find just maybe 5 minutes of something actually interesting). Later on thanks to therapy, I finally understood the difference between serotonin (happiness) and dopamine (the hype of about to get rewarded).
It has been a very interesting adventure since I started this process of recovery from alcoholism. I have managed to realize about a lot of things in myself that aren't very healthy. In my personal case, it is necessary to keep going on in this adventure inside my own psyche, because it could mean a relapse on drinking again and hence: Lose my life.
Amazing video. Subscribed. Looking forward to watch more.
I always try to remind myself how uncomfortable I could be or how much I really do depend on finer things that I don't really need right now. But damn I'm grateful
@@mattl6492 Solid advice
I'm an opiate addict in recovery & I have been running into the same issues. I had to slowly replace bad habits with good ones. I started taking a martial arts class & got into yoga. Something healthy you can physically get into & focus on is helpful. It's not easy navigating this world sober. Once we get rid of the drug we have to face all the bad habits we got into while using the drug.
Congrats on your sobriety!!!
Hey, how've you been holding up?
Hope all is well!!
🔥💚🔥
Yeah alcoholism and internet addiction, or all addictions really kind of work the same i think . Tryin to fight it
Here are a couple of channels that focus on this exact subject: "Better Than Yesterday" and "What I've Learned"
Exurbla,kurzgesgt, Improvement pill, motivation hub and inspired soul , are the golden gems of human drive on RUclips.
andrew kirby, he has a whole dopamine detox playlist
What I've Learned is great! Opened my eyes to a new reality
I like the "Better Than Yesterday" videos. He's a very calm speaker and I don't mind the cartoon pictures. I'm just waiting for the video where he says "Mike used to be a serial killer. But Mike replaced his anger with a special morning routine of getting up early, cold showers and no coffee" ;)
A bit late to the party but might I add "How to Get Your Brain to Focus"? It's a Ted Talk by Chris Bailey that coever exactly this topic. Highly recommend.
It's really sad that the problem is our experiences are TOO good. Like the message is to make your life less interesting and stimulating so you can enjoy other stimulation. That really blows.
i wouldn’t say that. i mean, do you really think mindlessly scrolling is more interesting than being with friends, for example? it’s not that it’s actually more interesting and a better experience, but that it’s designed to make our brains think it is so that we’re unable to fully enjoy what we actually want to enjoy.
think about it this way, the enjoyment you get out of dopamine and any other chemical doesn't make you feel better the more you have in your system, its a bell curve. if you dont have enough dopamine, you'll feel awful, but if you have too much dopamine you'll feel just as bad if not worse. the key is to find where the peak of the bell curve is and do things that bring you to the peak, and by having meaningful experiences and being present in the moment you will never exceed its threshold.
I'm starting to see a huge difference when I just stopped enjoying playing games like I used to. I actually feel good about going outside, talking to people and just enjoy everyday stuff way more, and it doesn't feel like a chore like it used to feel back then.
I mean, I still do play games quite often, but it's not the first thing that comes into my mind when I'd like to have fun or just "kill some time". I feel happier and just more confident. (In the way I don't constantly think about that I wasted another 10+ hours on pc doing nothing each day)
I feel this one. When I was younger I could play Xbox for 8-12 hours without a second thought. Now, I sit down to play something at my PC and by the time I get to the title screen I’m already disinterested. Ive found that something as simple as going for a walk every day can really change your life over time
wierdly enough for me it feels the opposite when I had nothing else but to do but playing games i enjoyed so much now with a much "better life" i feel a lot more miserable
One of the few RUclipsrs I've noticed actually pushing away his audience by telling them to not go on RUclips.
And he still has many subscribers
I always had a wild imagination from childhood to my early adulthood. I'm 28 going on 29 soon I found that somewhere in between the Facebook hype, and other online distractions over the years, that creative imagination began to slowly diminish over the years to the point where (in a manner of speaking) "lost a lot of color in my life". I still believe that wild free thinking person exists somewhere inside me, but these days you have to walk on eggshells to even survive in this hell we're all in. Makes it kind of difficult for a creative mind to flourish.
What hell? What are you talking about?
I can deeply feel what you're experiencing. I'm not even 20 and I am feeling completely colourless in respect to the boy I used to be just a few years ago.
@@turbofanct6679 You need to pick one thing you would like to learn and do it. When I was your age I would get up in the morning and sew myself a skirt or macrame a plant holder. If you find it difficult to deal with silence then put on some music and dance. You could also read a good fiction novel instead of watching T.V. I go for a walk everyday and see bunnies. Every spring I look for them. You can create your own life . Your 20's are the best time to explore. And do not get involved with the whole "woke crowd". They are so toxic and annoying.
@@bluewaters3100 Thanks for having taken your time to respond. What do you mean by "woke croud"? (I'm not a native speaker, so I could be missing something)
@@turbofanct6679 they probably mean the virtue-signaling SJWs on the internet that force you to think a certain way without actually educating you. these people most likely have no lives & ultimately no real education on the issues they’re virtue-signaling about; they need to get a real social life with other people who think differently than them & ultimately stop being hypocrites. twitter is basically where the majority of this happens, so if you steer clear of that site, you’re most likely fine.
I used to get shit done. But lately, I’ve been overwhelmed by social media, YT and the barrage of notifications 🔔 Deleting TikTok helped but clearly I need to do more. It’s time to get back to what really matters… my health, my wife & kids, my career and doing the things I really enjoyed when I was younger.
I was actually thinking this at this exact moment. ; )
It's like he knows. 👀
Social distancing
Me too
Yeah same and I honestly think a lot of people are coming to this conclusion in parallel. Fingers crossed we all snap out of it.
Me too
I’ve been so addicted to my phone
I've just figured out a good trick for me:
I don't split my time only into 'obligatory stuff' and 'free time' like I used to, but I split the free time itself in two:
1. Time for improving at least in one part of my life (like music production, writing down ideas, working on realizing them - simply just being creative - the stuff I wanna do and get better at) and
2. the time for only recreation and relaxing. That's the time where I can consume stuff I like.
The big improvement for me was to divide creation from consumption.
That keeps me from mixing up those things and having specific times in my scedule for each of them.
Hope that can help anyone.
Have a good day and thank you for pointing out such an important topic.
Dividing creation from consumption…I love that👏🏾👏🏾
@@AllSeasonBodyFD Did I say something funny? I'm not a native speaker. 😅
@@marco1941they were complimenting your way of working :)
A year later but 🤷
@@spoils8179 Oh thanks, now totally see. Maybe I was a little tired that day, now it’s pretty obvious to me. So sorry and thank you all. 😅
Jus had half a cupcake and ice cream. That dopamine, man.
Jus did a great workout, ate healthy and ate fruits today. Ended it with chips. But ice cream and half cupcake seems like a better alternative.
Damn yea
Just got off PH. That dopamine, man.
Diabetes gonna getcha
Just half? UNDERACHIEVER
Liked. Commented.and subscribed. Feeling lucky that I bumped into this. Not that I didn’t know, but it’s a great reminder to not to blast our brain with super stimuli to stay motivated on boring things that are critical: Workout, expanding work network, work on the next exams you’ve been procrastinating for a year but could give you a promo at work…
I appreciate when I watch a video that makes me want to watch less videos.
It’s a reminder to pause, take a step back and recenter on what’s actually important.
Thanks for your videos like this
6:08 as a rock bottom depressed alcoholic (who's "so talented" at music but gave up), holy sht... I don't use social media idk y I clicked this video, but hot damn dude I think u finally fount a way into my brain with everything u said after that time stamp... its been 3-4 years I've spiraled. And u finally cracked a (not demeaning not ignorant or rude) way into changing my perspective on life... thank u for ur point of view with addictions and ur hard hitting words. I hope u got over ur constant stimulation addictions and so do others with your amazing choice of words for anyone to feel and understand. Cause ur right
Setting priorities and doing meaningful things has become so crucial in this superficial confused world. Thank you for this video 🙏
Hundreds of ads and RUclips videos have shown me skillshare, yet yours is the only one that makes me feel like it's a worthy purchase. RUclips always seemed like it was enough for me, but you are the first I noticed mentioning skillshares "classes". Perhaps I'm used to ignoring these segways, but I'll be checking it out because of you. Thank you.
This is the most helpful video I’ve found on this subject. I’m working full time and a full time student and it’s so hard to sit down and concentrate on the things need to get done. I think knowing the *why* behind all this will really help with my procrastination problem.
Concrete example: I am a DIY musician with a home studio. I have an album written and ready to record. I recently set a rule forbidding myself from listening to recorded music. I can only listen to this album-in-progress. Dopamine from my favorite LPs was preventing this new one from existing. Then I dropped the ball for a few days - thanks for the reminder.
Be very careful. This can backfire & wind up inhibiting progress on your project. Set deadlines for steps in the process & keep it moving.
You'll still probably benefit from using reference tracks. Make a rule allowing yourself to listen to music if it's for your project
6:08
"When I'm CAMPING..." triggered my mind to a feeling like homesickness.
Your description, 'going away for a week or so and focusing on very little, basic things...', mate, it's for those reasons I'd rather be out in the bush in the military Basic Training than sitting behind my desk seeing my legs turn to rubber and my strength falling off of me like falling leaves of a tree during autumn.
Your video because of this is both a blessing and a torture.
There was this one time my WIFI had a problem and i wasn't able to use internet for a 2-3 weeks. First two or three days were pure suffering i couldn't live without it but then after few days i started to feel something different, i experience a little change in everyday routine like my daily habits, i start reading newspaper and books i had free time so i start working out as well, without internet i couldn't work but it made me realise something that im still following til this very day.
Too much of dopamine is making so addicted and with a short attention span.
Amen to that. An eyeopening book on this is "the shallows" by Nicholas Carr. Check it out
@@SamMartinPeakPerformance now I added it to my amazon book list (my promise to myself this week was to not got on amazon add some more books ^^)
The question is : is this reversible ?
Yea affects the focus badly can’t focus for more than a few minutes sometimes
@@SamMartinPeakPerformance is shallow referencing shallow work? Which is often stated in the book deep work
Hey Shivan (and thread)-- I'm with you on that one man and addiction should be a more alarming concern for us... I think the complexity is that we are all aware of its harmful effects, but are simply overwhelmed by the benefits of the activities themselves and second, for some people, when they look up from their screens, their community/world is dark and not enough to give inspiration to life (poverty, work life, terrible households, etc.) I wrote a Poem: Dopamine (my channel) if you want to check it out- Take care :)
Tasks seem difficult when you're only looking for how they help your personal goals and ambitions.
Getting through "mundane" tasks is easier when you focus on how to be loving to others with your work, and take very good care of yourself in the process! Something that helps me is - when something frustrating or unpleasant confronts me, I silently remind myself "I'm only here to love", and my perspective shifts.
By "love" I just mean being good to others, prioritizing their well-being, and taking care of myself in the process. For example, if I'm screwing bolts onto a car in a production line, focusing on how to better people's lives (in this case, realizing how securing the bolts safely will protect children's lives, etc.) rather than thinking about how bored I am or what I'm missing out on.
Easier said than done, I know. Shitty bosses, inflexible and painful work, living paycheck to paycheck, etc. Life is hard, but everything we do has an impact, and if we make life better for others and take care of ourselves, we can have a better impact in this life.
"Waiting to be entertained." Kind of reminds me of one of those lazy kings who calls for a jester to entertain him. Except for us the jester is the internet. Rather than call on the jester and watch him dance, I think I'd rather manage my kingdom.
Damn that's a good way of looking at it, good one chief
What an interesting perspective!
Yeah but like dealing with legal disputes can be soooooooo boring
- kings, probably
I went through too many self help videos. It's like I was kinda wanting to think that I am doing something towards my goal. But binge watching those videos wasn't actually any steps. Now I only watch your videos. This has helped a lot to understand things better!
My issue is this.....I overreacted to a negative thought/feeling a few years ago. That led me into a rabbit hole of youtube, google searching for depression this, anxiety that, remedies, therapies, cures, supplements etc...until after about two years. I just stopped.....and when I did that, I felt better. Instead of good days I had good weeks, even months. But then last November that dark cloud came back and what did I do??? The exact same thing as last time, so for once since I've owned a smart phone I will delete social media and just use it for phone calls and texts for 30 days. Because I know I can be in a good mood, but I'm so deep in that I cant even play with my kids because my mind is somewhere else. Wish me luck
Ik I'm late but all the best for everything! Do it for your family
@@vindovilles3419 thank you, I havent started yet but i will next month after I'm done moving. But i also took a health dna test to see how my neurochemistry is wired to see if I could biohack that or if I just need traditional therapy and it's all in my head lol. We'll see
@@vindovilles3419 hey sooooo....I got results back and it turns out I have the comt gg gene....which means it clears dopamine fast. This could explain why somedays I wake up in a good mood, ready to work out, listen to music, play with the kids etc, and some days just feel blah
Same, I do that. On the bright side, atleast now I know a lot about depression, anxiety and the neuroscience surrounding it
Edit: nevermind, I now think I have a common COMT gene variation
I’m there too, was doing great in comparison to when i was dealing with depression/anxiety! I thought I’d discovered the solution albeit now the things I implemented to be better aren’t working! But I have faith they will again! The things I’m doing--eating healthy, exercising moderately, meditating and reducing screen time! I wish you well….you’ll get there!
I’m addicted to RUclips.
Try unfollowing those "junk food" channels and subscribe to more wholesome, low dopamine, educational, motivational channels.
same
@@SahajSoldier taking a higher quality heroin is not going to solve the addiction
You should make yourself daily video limit.
same
I definitely agree. Social media is a compete poison to modern day society. That’s why I deleted all social media besides RUclips. And I really try to limit my time on RUclips as well.
There's noting inherently wrong with social media, you just have to be selective with the type. I think of it like choosing friends: be mindful of the company you keep.
@@krane15 there is nothing inherently wrong with heroin also.. see the problem of that outlook?
@@Remy.- There is no problem with my outlook, only your interpretation. Heroin is a highly addictive drug detrimental to good healthy and with no positive benefits.
@@krane15 when you have pure heroin it gets broken down into morphine in your system. People have been known to get morphine administered in the hospital for years and years and have no internal damage. Its not that neurotoxic. Also there are multiple people (highly educated and succesfull) like Dr. Carl Hart who use heroin regularly and say it has greatly increased their enjoyment of life and connection with family members.
I can't thank you enough for this video, especially for citing scientific papers. Most of the self improvement videos do not rely on this, and that makes me unwilling to accept what they say. I thought I was going to lose my mind before I found out this video; I cannot concentrate on the basic tasks like studying or even taking care of myself. I needed this so much, again, thank you. I took notes of everything and I'll do the exercise for me not to fall again on this vicious and torturous circle of scrolling, searching irrelevant stuff and watching 'naughty' things, as you said.
I’m definitely struggling with this in quarantine, and staying focused working on my channel, and practicing guitar.
Jims haha yeah, once I start I can usually get into a rhythm, but then when I stop for a second I’m tempted to open the browser up and then I can throw 15-30 mins out the window without realizing it.
I been so distracted for a long time that I’m scared of coming back to real life n real work , because I feel like I don’t have it, I don’t have it in me to focus n work for 8 hours a day or to talk about my profession
But this helps n I got get back at it the right way
Ahh Mark Zuckerberg’s twin trying to convince us he’s human. Cute
This comment needs more likes
this guy is awesome and u r an idiot
Notice how he didn’t like your comment either .. Hmm suspicious
"And I was a human.. I..I am a human"
Chad Zuckerberg
man if you ever feel down, just know that you made a great change in my life. keep up the work, just know that you helped one person. I hope this makes you sleep well at night.
I agree that especially with quarantine, we're all internet addicts. It's so hard to reduce screen time when your work, friends, and most of your life are all online.
It's strange because quarantine was the one thing that made me so bored of staring at a screen that I would do anything like skateboarding, chess, playing instruments, writing even juggling. I miss quarantine for that reason. Instead of these hobbies being too tiring to do after a normal day I had all the time and boredom in the world.
the world is ready for a post work society
I had lost hope in self-improvement, until this video. This is the right type of content, not solution-focused but why based. It explains why you procrastinate, not how to stop it. Thank you, looking forward your content.