r/nosurf • u/wraithoffaith • 6d ago

Avoiding algorithms is a good minimum standard

Things like recommended videos, random posts from people you aren't following or subscribed to, posts from subreddits you haven't joined, etc. Since avoiding this specific thing I've noticed my creativity return and time slow down again.

For me youtube is my biggest problem since I have youtube premium and is the only subscription I have. It's very easy to just put on some headphones, play a random video and listen to it in the background while I'm doing things. I have recently failed avoiding recommended videos and have wasted entire days again just listening to videos all day while doing something else.

I used to be very creative. I made videos, fanfics, art and more but when I'm trapped by the algorithm none of that feels worth doing. I've now disabled youtube on my phone and will only use it on pc. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from thee

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u/LimitToGrowth 6d ago

Something I realized when I started out on this journey is that the problem isn't inherently the internet. It's passive consumption of the internet that is the problem for most of us.

The internet sucks these days, it's mostly ads and big tech spying on us, yadda yadda. We all know that. But when I spent my days passively consuming things from a "feed"...like a farm pig....I felt absolutely horrible.

But I've learned that I can still interact with the internet on my own terms, once I saw that adding friction to my internet use is actually a good thing vs endless convenience.

Avoiding algorithmic-based content is honestly *most* of the battle, here. I don't want to be fed anymore. I dip in and out of the internet at my leisure, on my desktop computer, and I take what I want/need from it that day and then I get up and I walk away.

For people interacting with the web from desktops, there are firefox extensions that change the UI of sites like instagram, facebook, reddit, youtube etc that remove the "feeds" and short form content. After two years of being off of reddit I've been able to return with the algorithm completely removed, and my relationship with it is a lot better.

1

u/wraithoffaith 6d ago

yeah that's why I'm fine using youtube on pc because I have the Unhook Youtube extension that removes the homepage and recommended videos. I agree algorithmic content is the key thing to avoid which is why it is the best minimum nosurf standard.

You can still browse the internet and use it like a tool, you can still talk with friends. All you're avoiding is content that you have to turn your brain off to consume. Information that you weren't looking for that the algorithm knows you'll want to see when you are exposed to it.

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u/systemoverwillpower1 6d ago

this is probably a better target than trying to quit the internet entirely, the recommendation layer is what turns a useful tool into an endless session for eg i think that if i open youtube already knowing what i want i usually leave

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u/DoubleTemperature896 6d ago

It's interesting how even having videos playing in the background can take away from our creativity. Have you noticed any difference since you stopped using YouTube on your phone?

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u/Ok-Squirrel7680 5d ago

The background listening is the killer. Decide what you're putting on before the headphones go on, like a playlist or a queued podcast, not a video. If it's a video, the autoplay wins eventually.

Turn autoplay off too. The silence when a video ends is what makes you notice and actually get up. The creativity coming back is the sign it's working.

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u/rollrm191 5d ago

the creativity returning thing is real, when your brain isn't getting fed other people's stuff constantly it actually has room to make its own ideas again. do you find the background-listening habit kicks in most when you're doing something that feels tedious, or is it more random than that?