Last week I wrote about avoiding social media, and I got a lot of responses. But several of you pointed out that your real problem isn’t Twitter-type apps or Instagram. It’s YouTube.

You go there to watch one video about fixing your bike tire, and three hours later you’re watching someone restore a 1987 Nintendo. I get it. YouTube is sneaky that way.

So here’s what works for me.

1. Create a watch list. YouTube lets you save videos to custom playlists. When you stumble across something interesting, don’t watch it. Just add it to your watch list and close the tab.
2. Schedule your YouTube time. Pick a specific block in your week. Mine’s Friday afternoons. When that time comes, open YouTube and go straight to your watch list. No homepage. No recommendations feed. Just your list.
3. Use the algorithm, but on your terms. I actually like YouTube’s recommendations. They surface videos I wouldn’t find otherwise. The trick is treating them like suggestions, not commands. See something interesting? Add it to the list. Move on.
4. Curate ruthlessly. Before I start watching, I scan my list and delete anything that doesn’t grab me anymore. What seemed interesting on Tuesday might feel skippable by Friday. That’s fine.

This is time boxing in action. You’re not eliminating YouTube. You’re just deciding when and what to watch before you start watching. It turns passive consumption into an active choice.

Does it eliminate the temptation completely? No. Sometimes I still fall down a rabbit hole. But having a system makes those slip-ups rare instead of routine.

The key insight is that YouTube isn’t the problem. The infinite feed is. Your watch list gives you the benefits of YouTube without the trap of endless autoplay.

Give it a try for a week and see what happens.

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If I have a superpower, it’s probably this: I’m immune to social media.

It’s been years since I’ve used Twitter or any Twitter-like app. I’ve never gotten hooked. Never felt that pull to scroll. Never lost hours to the feed.

Until last month.

I decided to give Instagram a real shot. Just to see what all the fuss was about. I figured maybe I’d been missing something.

The algorithm was terrifyingly good. Within 30 minutes, my feed was perfectly curated: intricate woodworking joinery, bonsai care techniques, people tying complex knots, and yes, cute puppies. It was like Instagram had crawled inside my brain and said, “We got you.”

For about a week, I found myself reaching for my phone in the evening. Just a little scrolling. Nothing serious. But it became part of the routine.

Then something shifted.

All the knots started looking the same. The joinery techniques blurred together. Even the puppies felt repetitive. And I caught myself watching someone else tend to their bonsai trees while mine sat on the bench outside, waiting for attention.

That’s when it clicked. I’d rather be doing these things than watching other people do them.

Maybe it’s because I grew up without this stuff. My brain didn’t get wired for infinite scroll during those critical years. Or maybe I just prefer the smell of sawdust to the glow of a screen.

Whatever the reason, the spell broke. I got back to my actual hobbies.

Here’s what surprised me most: the algorithm got my interests right, but it couldn’t account for the fact that I’m happiest when I’m making things, not consuming content about making things.

Social media companies have spent billions figuring out how to keep us engaged. They’re incredibly good at it. But they can’t replicate the satisfaction of actually doing the work.

If you find yourself scrolling through content about your hobbies more than you’re actually doing them, maybe try this: spend one evening doing the thing instead of watching other people do it. See which one feels better.

I’m betting on the doing.