What Is YouTube Addiction?

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Updated on November 30, 2023

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Young woman lying on sofa at living room and using cell phone at home — Constantinis / Getty Images

Youtube addiction commonly refers to a compulsion to watch Youtube videos to the point that it interferes with daily life. This article discusses the signs, causes, effects, and treatment of this disorder and where to turn if you think you're affected.

Although the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) doesn't officially recognize YouTube addiction as a mental illness, many experts argue that it and other internet addictions should be considered for inclusion.

Signs of YouTube Addiction

Because YouTube addiction is not a recognized condition, there are no specific diagnostic criteria. However, your online video viewing might be excessive if you're:

Spending most of your time watching, thinking about watching, or planning to watch YouTube videos
Feeling like you must watch online videos to feel good
Continuing to watch YouTube videos even though the behavior leads to negative consequences
Feeling like you can't cut back even though you want to
Neglecting important work, family, school, or other tasks
Hiding your YouTube viewing habits from other people
Experiencing symptoms of withdrawal, such as feeling depressed, angry, or irritable when you try to stop watching YouTube

Identifying YouTube Addiction

Many people report feeling that their compulsion to watch YouTube videos is similar to an addiction. Indeed, becoming dependent on viewing online videos can represent a form of behavioral addiction.

Behavioral addictions are defined as non-substance addictions in which a person becomes dependent on certain behaviors or actions.

Aside from gambling disorder, psychologists disagree on whether behavioral compulsions are actual addictions. However, internet gaming disorder (IGD) was added to DSM 5 in 2013 under "Emerging Measures and Conditions for Further Study" in 2013.

Causes of YouTube Addiction

Like other types of behavioral addictions, viewing YouTube videos can produce short-term rewards in the brain. Over time, some people begin to feel that they've lost control over their viewing habits and may continue watching excessively despite adverse consequences.

A person might want to watch videos at inappropriate times—for example, in the middle of a date. Or they might watch in inappropriate places (at work), and in a way that interferes with daily life (missing work to watch YouTube videos).

The difficulty with this type of behavior is that it often starts slowly and builds over time. Because these behavioral changes tend to happen incrementally, it's difficult to see how they are interfering with daily tasks and well-being.

For example, you might watch videos for a specific purpose at first. Then, you might watch when you're bored or alone. Later, you might start opening the app first thing in the morning and get sucked into watching one video after another. Before you know it, several hours have passed, and you haven't even gotten out of bed.

The wide variety of videos also means you're unlikely to get bored. If your interest in one genre wanes, the recommendation algorithm will inevitably suggest videos suited to your interests. This can make it hard to know when to stop.

How to Know If You Have an Internet Addiction and What to Do About It

The Impact of YouTube Addiction

The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) defines addiction as a chronic condition that involves complex interactions among genetics, brain circuits, the environment, and life experiences.

This definition encompasses the pathological pursuit of rewarding behaviors such as watching YouTube. Such behavior becomes compulsive and continues even when it has harmful consequences in a person's life.

Is It an Addiction?

Your behavior may or may not be a true addiction depending on the nature of your symptoms and how those symptoms impact your life.

Even if your excessive YouTube use doesn't qualify as an addiction, it might still create problems in your life—for example, disruptions in your life and relationships. It might affect your work performance, too.

How to Get Help

If you're having difficulty meeting obligations and maintaining your relationships, consider talking to a mental health professional. They can help you with treatment options and strategies to help you manage—and maybe even eliminate—your YouTube video-watching habits. Therapy can help treat any other underlying mental health concerns that might be contributing to your behavior.

Research suggests that people who have behavioral addictions–including gambling disorder, compulsive internet use, exercise addiction, and compulsive shopping behavior—also tend to experience anxiety, substance use, mood, and other disorders at a much higher rate than the general population.

In addition to getting professional treatment, here are a few steps you can take on your own to help reduce problematic YouTube use.

Set limits on when you can watch YouTube: Trying to completely eliminate something you enjoy can make you want it even more. Instead, allow yourself a specific amount of time each day.
Turn off autoplay: Toggle off Autoplay next video in the settings. Eliminating the constant feed may make it easier to stop viewing when you'd planned.
Set a reminder to take a break: Toggle the “Remind me to take a break” option. You can set this to whatever time you have decided to allow for video-watching.
Turn it into a reward: Allow yourself to watch videos for a set period as a reward for completing certain tasks. For example, you might allow yourself 15 minutes of watching after you clean up the kitchen, or you might watch for 30 minutes after work.
Use distractions: Find something else to fill your time. Distractions that might help include watching TV, reading, pursuing a hobby, exercising, and visiting a friend.

A Word From Verywell

Watching YouTube can be entertaining and informative. In some cases, however, you might find yourself watching too much YouTube or even experiencing symptoms of behavioral addiction.

Whether your viewing is a distracting habit that consumes too much of your time or is a more serious problem, you can take steps on your own to get it under control. Even better, talk to a mental health professional for advice.

6 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Bozoglan B, ed. Psychological, Social, and Cultural Aspects of Internet Addiction: IGI Global; 2018. doi:10.4018/978-1-5225-3477-8
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Robbins TW, Clark L. Behavioral addictions. Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2015;30:66-72. doi:10.1016/j.conb.2014.09.005
Petry NM, Zajac K, Ginley MK. Behavioral addictions as mental disorders: To be or not to be?. Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2018;14:399–423. doi:10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032816-045120
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By Kendra Cherry, MSEd
Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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