No, I don't mean I won't be making any videos anymore - my channel isn't going anywhere. I mean: I barely watch YouTube nowadays.

It all started as part of a digital cleanse I decided to do a few months ago. One of the challenges was "a month without YouTube".

Instagram is usually pictured as the most evil of all social networks there are. And sure, many people are addicted to it, but it's never been a big problem for me.

YouTube, on the other hand, is tricky because I like to learn new things: motivational stuff, self-help videos, how to improve my workouts, my sleep, anything in my life...

It didn't feel like I was wasting my time. But I was.

Google knows me very well. They know which videos to recommend in the home page (the most dangerous site on the Internet, in my opinion), along with the suggested videos when you are watching something.

It used to be so bad that I'd go to YouTube with the idea of watching something on a specific topic, take the bait right away with some suggested videos, and find myself half an hour later not remembering what I'd come to YouTube for.

I was proud to say I didn't watch any TV, and used to judge people who did. The average American spends almost 5 hours a day in front of that idiot box... come on, that's crazy! I failed to realize that YouTube was doing the same to me. Maybe not 5 hours a day (yet!) but it was becoming a big problem. So I decided to fix it.

My first step was to delete the YouTube app from my phone and tablet.

As a YouTuber, I still needed access to the website, and I'd get some suggested videos while watching my own (I have to, to make sure everything looks good). So I unsubscribed from every channel dedicated to gadgets, and spent quite some time trying to trick the algorithm telling it I wasn't interested in anything I had watched in the past.

30 days.

It was bad. I hadn't realized how addicted I was to YouTube. I missed it in the mornings while enjoying my coffee. I missed it in the evenings. I missed it at night, laying on bed, with just my thoughts (and my wife!) to entertain me.

I think I had withdrawals for 2 weeks. There was no a-ha moment, enlightenment or profound realization. It happened gradually and eventually, I wasn't missing YouTube anymore. And for more than a month, it was great.

I suffer from GAS, like most of photographers. I like cameras! By not getting tricked into learning about new cameras, lenses or film stocks made me a bit calmer, less anxious, and helped me to stay focused. Well, that, and unsubscribing from all the camera rumors and news websites.

The biggest benefit for me is that I get going much faster in the mornings: I don't spend any time on social media, including YouTube, after getting up. What I do in the early morning extends to the rest of my day, so I'm trying to be very careful with how I start my days.

I also have plenty of time to spare at night, that I can spend reading... or even writing!

Little by little, I've been letting YouTube in again. I still find some channels and creators out there very inspiring and helpful. I don't use the app, though: I watch videos on my browser using incognito mode. This way, YouTube doesn't know it's me who is watching, thus it can't trick me with personalized recommendations.

In the end, it's not about not watching any YouTube, using any social media app, or even watching any TV! It's all about being intentional in our use of those things. We should have a purpose, no matter if it's practical or just for the sake of entertainment. It's about being aware of the time we spend consuming and most importantly, what we aren't doing because of it.