I remember watching Youtube videos and thinking "This is the last video, I will quit after this". However, as soon as the video ends, my preferences would suddenly change to wanting to do one more!

Many of us understand this false dichotomy:

1. Quit mid-way through the video
2. Quit after the video ends at 3 am 

So I would (sometimes) stop binging videos, but only if I quit mid-way through.

Then short-form videos wrecked me.

These (tik-toks/shorts/reels) have NO "middle of the video" to have a moment of reflection. I'm constantly in that "high preference for the next hit" state. The algorithms are optimized against me and they're only getting worse!

From social dark matter, if it's taboo to admit to some "problem", then you won't hear about how many people have that "problem"[1]

My shoddy estimate[2] tells me that:
- 1/2 people reading this "waste" [...]

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Outline:

(01:33) Keeping electronics and chargers outside of bedroom

(02:13) Seeing a Psychiatrist

(02:57) Take Vitamin D

(03:09) Advice that previously worked for me

(03:18) Screen Time Passcodes that I dont Know

(03:52) A month of minimal social media usage

(04:34) Just one cup of Coffee in the morning

(04:44) Maybe Meditation?

(05:26) New Year, New You

The original text contained 4 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.

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First published:
January 14th, 2025

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/jJ9Hx8ETz5gWGtypf/how-do-you-deal-w-super-stimuli

Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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