YouTube Addiction

YouTube Addiction

YouTube addiction*, also known as problematic YouTube use, can be defined in several ways depending on the source. The most common elements researchers and clinicians agree upon is an inability to stop watching YouTube and significant relational, occupational, educational, or personal problems emerging from the inability to stop using. It could be argued that YouTube addiction is a subcategory of binge-watching addiction, which is more commonly associated with streaming services such as Netflix.

One of the most appealing aspects of YouTube is its ability to provide videos on specific and nuanced topics. Unlike in the past when people had to watch whatever was broadcasted on a TV channel, people can now select the content they want to view in incredible specific ways. For example, not only can someone select the topic they would like to watch, but they can also select the presenter of that information. This, along with the autoplay feature, can create a captivating cycle of entertainment and information that keeps users engaged, sometimes longer than they would like. When this cycle is uncontrollable, people may question if they are addicted to YouTube and find that their frequent watching interferes with important aspects of their life like spending time with family members, completing homework, or engaging in other fulfilling activities.

YouTube Addiction Research

In a study performed by Kircaburun et. al. (2020), the authors revealed some interesting nuances of YouTube addictions. The first is that YouTube addictions likely produce subcategories of addictions that result from the increasingly specific repertoire of videos YouTube watchers have at their disposal. Showing this, the authors explored the niche of mukbang, which is Korean for “eating broadcast.” A Mukbang Addiction Scale was created, and the authors found that loneliness was correlated to problematic mukbang watching and suggested that “mukbang watching might constitute a dysfunctional coping mechanism for some individuals, especially among individuals displaying high loneliness” (p.274).

The second interesting aspect of this study was the creation of the Problematic YouTube Use Scale (PYUS), which the authors modified from the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (see social media addictions for more information on this scale). The items assessed in this scale include salience, conflict, withdrawal, mood modification, tolerance, and relapse, which are common categories assessed for other technology addictions as well. Regarding findings on the Problematic YouTube Use Scale, the authors found that depression was correlated with problematic YouTube use.

Other research studies on YouTube addiction are listed below:

• The Relations Between YouTube Addiction, Social Anxiety, and Parasocial Relationships with YouTubers…
• Compulsive YouTube Usage: A Comparison of Use Motivation and Personality Effects

YouTube Addiction Symptoms

YouTube addiction symptoms resemble symptoms seen in other technology addictions. Some symptoms of YouTube addiction can include:

• An inability or difficulty with stopping YouTube watching
• Relational, occupational, educational, or personal problems that emerge due to excessive use
• A loss of interest in previous hobbies or activities
• Thinking about watching YouTube when not able to watch
• Depression
• Social anxiety
• Parasocial relationships with YouTubers (feeling close to a YouTuber you don’t know)
• Expressing motivation to use YouTube more for entertainment rather than for information

YouTube Addiction Help

YouTube addiction hasn’t been studied as much as other technology addictions that involve gaming, social media, or pornography use. Nevertheless, recommendations from researchers include cognitive-behavioral individual therapy that helps people recognize thinking patterns that lead to excessive use and develop coping techniques to minimize it.

Contact The Center for Technology Wellness for Your Free YouTube Addiction Consultation Today!

At the Center for Technology Wellness, we incorporate individual and systemic techniques to provide a wide range of treatment options for our clients. For some, individual techniques centered on controlling the problematic use may be the most helpful. For others, systemic techniques focusing on other aspects of a person’s life like their current relationships, life satisfaction, and culture may be more indicated and helpful. Many people will benefit from a combination of both. Either way, people seeking help will be treated with respect and will have a say in how their treatment will be conducted.

Some of our assessments and interventions include:

• Defining what “problematic YouTube watching” means to you or a loved one
• Establishing “green, yellow, and red zone use” to determine when YouTube watching is leisurely, concerning, and harmful
• Using YouTube addiction scales developed by researchers to gain a better understanding of symptoms and treatment options
• Assessing for how other mental health issues could be contributing to problematic YouTube watching (e.g., anxiety, depression, social anxiety, impulsivity)
• Exploring other factors in your life that may be contributing to excessive watching (e.g., low self-esteem, loneliness, lack of freedom)
• Examining the potential for parasocial relationships with YouTubers and how they may influence problematic watching
• Identifying emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and environmental cues that lead to problematic use
• Practicing ways to recognize these cues to curb problematic use and divert energy to other fulfilling activities
• Constructing a support network of family members, friends, and professionals who can have the YouTube watcher’s back as they seek a more fulfilling life

*The term “addiction” in relation to technology is controversial amongst researchers and clinicians. Although some are attempting to use terms “addiction” and “disorder” to describe problematic usage of technology to develop scales and diagnoses for clinical settings, others contend that these terms are inappropriate for several reasons (e.g., they could stigmatize people, they mislead people into thinking substance addictions are identical to technology addictions).

These terms are used on this site because it is the language that most people commonly use when seeking information and help on this topic. At the Center for Technology Wellness, we use the preferred terminology of our clients, whether it includes more diagnostic terms like “addiction” and “disorder,” or simple descriptions provided by our clients (e.g., “I feel like I’m watching Tik Tok too much”).

Sources:

Kircaburun, K., Stavropoulos, V., Harris, A., Calado, F., Emirtekin, E., & Griffiths, M. D. (2021). Development and validation of the mukbang addiction scale. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 19(4), 1031-1044.