How Watching Youtube Videos Gives a False Sense of Productivity and Learning

And what can you do about it.

I am an avid watcher of Youtube videos. That’s probably one of the main passive activities I do and, to be honest, I would be ashamed of the weekly hours I spend on the platform. But, to offset that feeling, I can comfort myself by looking at the content of the videos I typically watch: Science, Philosophy, Digital literacy, Productivity hacks, Exercise plans etc.
There are actually very few entertainment videos in my history, so it must be a good use of my time right?
I learn new stuff, and it must be quite similar to reading a book, except that I get the main points in 15 minutes instead of 300 pages.
That’s what I still thought a few months back, but that’s not the case anymore, and if you are anything like me, then this article might be interesting to you. Let’s see why I think that that sense of learning and productivity is false, and how you can switch to the real deal. But be warned: doing so will force your brain to work a bit more than it currently does.

1. The Problem

Let’s first identify the problem. Take a look at your Youtube history. Can you actually recall the content of the last video you watched? If it has not been too long since you have left that activity, chances are that you can still remember most of it. But what was the video before that one about? Still a few reminiscence, nice. And what about one you watched yesterday, or a week ago?

That’s where it’s starting to hurt. The further back in time we go, the less we remember what the points were. You might still have some idea of what the content was, or remember some very specific pieces of information, but you probably cannot recall the big ideas in such a way that you could engage in a conversation about them. There are holes and pieces missing in your recollection. And at some point, you won’t even recall watching those videos.

How frustrating is that! You’ve spent hours watching interesting content about nuclear fusion, carcinisation, or whatever floats your boat, and you remember none of it (or partial pieces of information that you probably misremember anyway). You left the video with a sense of…