YouTube is a gold mine of knowledge – and a rabbit hole full of distractions. While this app is designed for your continued viewing, there are several ways to manage your time on the platform.
1. Read the transcript instead
Reading a transcript instead of viewing content can be an incredible time-saver. A transcript is a text version of a video that can be skimmed through like an article.

Most content creators on YouTube speak much slower than the average reading speed, forcing many to speed up their playback. With transcripts, you can watch videos much faster without having to watch at 2x speed. They also make it easier for you to see the ratio of redundant content to actual content in the videos you watch.
Tips: Transcript also allows you to skip ads and sponsored segments to get to the actual content.
You don't need an external transcript generator for YouTube videos. YouTube has an automatic caption generator that works pretty well most of the time.

To use YouTube's built-in transcript creation feature, open the video you want to transcribe and click More in the description box. In the expanded box you can now find the button Show transcript. YouTube displays a timestamp next to each line in the transcript box. Clicking on anyone will take you to that point in the video.
2. Set a timer for the application
The YouTube timer is a useful feature, especially if you're watching on your phone. Otherwise, you might get caught up in the endless cycle of comedy skits and cute pets appearing in videos.
To set a timer for YouTube on Android, open Settings and navigate to Digital Wellbeing and parental controls. Click App timers > YouTube. On the next screen, select App timer again in the chart Screen time.

Once you set the timer, you'll receive a notification each time the timer goes off and have to wait until the next day to use YouTube again.
Note: If you're using iOS, you can use Screen Time to set time limits for the YouTube app.
If you're watching YouTube during your break, set the timer duration for your break. If you open YouTube to watch a specific video, set the timer to go off as soon as the video ends.
You can set the YouTube app to automatically remind you to take a break after a certain amount of time. You can choose one of the available options or set a custom time. You can set a bedtime reminder on YouTube to alert you when it's time to stop watching videos and go to sleep. However, these are gentle reminders compared to setting an app timer in Digital Wellbeing.
The application timer works best when you don't have any exceptions. If the timer goes off on a particularly interesting video, you should save it to a playlist See later instead of adding more minutes to the timer.
3. Commit to only watching videos on your PC
Modern cell phones are designed to be distracting. Aside from notifications buzzing every five minutes, apps are designed to be immersive and fill every inch of the viewing area with engaging content. They are quite portable, easy to access, and can fit in places where laptops are bulky and difficult to use.

Your cell phone is an unwitting accomplice in the plot to keep you focused and watching. The desktop YouTube experience is less immersive by default. It's hard to get caught up in the YouTube craze.
Watching on your PC also lets you use browser add-ons to customize your YouTube experience and make the platform less time-consuming. You can start with DeArrow (shows accurate titles and thumbnails curated by the community) and Unhook (removes recommended videos and shorts).
4. Pay attention to the videos you watch!

The best way to reduce your YouTube viewing time is to simply pay attention to what you're watching and pay your attention.
Before clicking on any YouTube video, you should stop for a minute and try to predict how much value you will get for your time and attention. Videos can be much less interesting than eye-catching thumbnails and sensational titles.
You might think back to older videos you've watched and their real impact. Life is too short to waste on videos that don't add any value. This works because it involves you making a conscious decision to evaluate how the algorithm is serving you and whether it's worth the investment.
Remember that a video you're not actively looking for is most likely a waste of time. Every once in a while you might find something interesting, but these moments are usually few and far between.
5. Delete and turn off viewing history

Although somewhat more drastic, deleting and disabling your watch history is the best way to get rid of your home feed and suggested short videos. On the home page, all you see is a search bar and a prompt to turn your watch history back on. If you're using a browser, you can skip the home page altogether and bookmark your registration page.
Warning: There is no way to restore your watch history once deleted.
If you don't want to delete it completely, an alternative is to pause your YouTube watch history. This way, it will be harder for the algorithm to recommend interesting videos to you. However, this change is more gentle and you will still be recommended short videos/videos based on your likes, search history and channel subscriptions.
YouTube is a great video sharing platform but can be seriously distracting. Many people spend more time on YouTube than they would like. But just be patient, and you'll gradually improve your ability to save time from this platform thanks to the tips listed above.