4O day challenge of no watching

amother

Sat, Sep 11 2021, 8:23 pm

I would love to do a 40 day challenge of no watching anything on YouTube. Especially after reading this week’s ‘Turning Point’ in Ami Living. I was really inspired and would love to take on this challenge. Anyone want to join me so we can be mechazek each other?

amother

NeonBlue

Sat, Sep 11 2021, 9:12 pm

Wow that’s such a beautiful idea! I would love to do it but would only be able to commit to it one day at a time

amother

Sat, Sep 11 2021, 9:13 pm

amother [ NeonBlue ] wrote:

Wow that’s such a beautiful idea! I would love to do it but would only be able to commit to it one day at a time

Baby steps is a great idea too.
So are you willing to try for today?

amother

Lightpink

Sat, Sep 11 2021, 9:20 pm

when I finished reading turning point I turned to my husband and said I want him to take my laptop and ipad to his office just for this months. I feel I cant work on my inner work with the distraction. She gets a big zchus for writing this article cos it was a big shake up for me. I dont really enjoy watching movies, I can just waste my time on instagram, shopping for hours or utube watching short clips. I so resonated with her. I chose it as my me time too. I feel I really want to be more present with my husband and kids. I also offer the kids screen time a little too much in these hectic days. I prefer to rather sit and spend quality time that will give them memories such as decorations for sucka or even getting them to help me in kitchen more.
so yes ill join u. Im sending out my technology till after yomin norim. will see after that. No taking major steps like u say. I still have device just for email and amazon. Which is literally no taaveh for me.

amother

Sapphire

Sat, Sep 11 2021, 9:21 pm

I’m currently in a “don’t watch anything on YouTube until after Yom Kippur challenge.”
It’s HARD! And so far I’ve resisted the urge to watch amazon prime and the such because they are the same problem.

amother

Sat, Sep 11 2021, 9:24 pm

I don’t go to sleep before watching a couple of shows so this will really be hard for me but I’m committing to a 40 day trial. Ending October 21. Yes, I checked the calendar already. Smile

amother

Crystal

Sat, Sep 11 2021, 9:42 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I don’t go to sleep before watching a couple of shows so this will really be hard for me but I’m committing to a 40 day trial. Ending October 21. Yes, I checked the calendar already. Smile

Wow I envy your strength.

Perhaps if I would have read that specific article I might have gotten that boost and cut some of my you tube watching as well. I haven't read the Ami in a while.
Which issue # is it? and what is name of the title of this article?

I hate that I am so addicted and wasting so much precious time on the computer and on instagram.
I feel a constant guilty conscious about it.

I need help! HELP!!

amother

Navyblue

Sat, Sep 11 2021, 9:45 pm

I didnt read the article but every year from the end of elul till after sukkos I try really hard not to watch any shows or listen to non jewish songs. in the beginning it's very hard but it get's easier as it gets out of my system. sometime I'm able to keep it going for a few extra days or weeks. it's not a kabbalah just something I hope makes a difference during this time.

applebutter

Sat, Sep 11 2021, 9:53 pm

Can I make a suggestion ? The only way to do this is by putting filters on your device. I don’t watch movies, tv shows or even short clips. Then I had a few month where I was super weak and nauseous. I was constantly sleeping and hardly got by. So I justified watching and opened JUST YouTube. I only watched Ben Shapiro videos and workout videos (while I’m half asleep on the couch) and maybe some cooking videos. Affter 3 months I realized how sad and empty I feel. This was not about the content of what I was watching bc it was innocent and not inherently inappropriate or problematic. My decision to call Gentech as opposed to make my own “screen time” limits on my iPhone really helped me. My focus on “what a waste of my life!” as opposed to “this is an avera! This is assur!” also helped me stop. I am so much happier now.

I think it made it easier for me to stop when I focus on the logic rather than the emotion attached to it. No guilt “this is so bad… screen time is so dangerous for your soul” That was what worked for me but maybe someone else needs that push from the spiritual aspect. I knew deep down that spiritually I don’t want to watch things and this is not what I want my kids to do when they’re bored (my grandparents would say Tehillim when they were sick , not watch things) but the only was to trick my mind into listening was using this “logic”

BTW! These few months of YouTube here and there was a small relapse in comparison to when I first got married when I would watch shoes and movies , Netflix , YouTube etc. Once I had kids I kept thinking , how would I like them to be? So it’s been 10 years since I did real watching , with this being a bit of slip. But once you stop you never go back fully. If you stop for so many years it’s just hard to break those good habits you’ve built.

So to summarize and add some tips :
1. This is an amazing challenge and goal ! Be proud of yourselves!
2. Use a strong filter like Gentech, not just parental guidelines set up by you or a friend or husband like I did which made it easy to open YouTube on a whim
3. The times you would watch have to be filled with something else or else you will flip. Talk on the phone, journal, take a bath, organize a space in your home. Choose on or two and let those be your go-to’s when you feel the “watching” urge
4. Envision your children now and when they grow into teenagers and so on. What kind of kids do you want? This helped me. My kids get zero screen time and I have a really hard time managing everyone but! When they come home from biking and basketball etc. I know it’s worth it. They used they’re minds and bodies to be creative and have fun instead of letting they’re eyes and brains glaze over when watching a screen
5. Use something to psychology trick your mind into complying with this challenge. If “your such a bad lazy mom stop watching” triggers you - don’t use it ! If that’s what pumps you up to stop then great! No one ever changed from beating them selves up.
6. If I can stop (10+ years strong!) you could too! I’m JPF and I did it … although there’s some slips on the way. But use the tools we have available to us, to get back up Smile

GOOD LUCK:)

amother

Caramel

Sat, Sep 11 2021, 10:04 pm

I can’t commit for 40 days but I will definitely try and take one day at a time. I’m excited about this!

fish

Sat, Sep 11 2021, 10:12 pm

Can someone post the article?

amother

Sat, Sep 11 2021, 10:38 pm

fish wrote:

Can someone post the article?

This week’s Ami living (Yom Kippur issue). Sorry I don’t know how to post it.

amother

Bellflower

Sat, Sep 11 2021, 10:46 pm

This makes no sense
There are no in-person Shiurim where I live
All my inspiration and Torah comes from YouTube

amother

Poppy

Sat, Sep 11 2021, 10:54 pm

amother [ Bellflower ] wrote:

This makes no sense
There are no in-person Shiurim where I live
All my inspiration and Torah comes from YouTube

The story was about a "movie subscription" which I assume meant Netflix or such. I didn't really understand how she got a subscription under an assumed name, I guess she hid it from her husband at first if she used a private cc, but then how'd she use a made up name for the cc company? Subscription services don't accept prepaid cards.
I appreciated the sentiment of the story and I think it's a nice kabbalah to take on this time of year but the story read as made up to me, written by someone who hasn't actually had a streaming service subscription IRL.

amother

Sat, Sep 11 2021, 10:59 pm

amother [ Bellflower ] wrote:

This makes no sense
There are no in-person Shiurim where I live
All my inspiration and Torah comes from YouTube

Oh I don’t watch inspirational Jewish stuff. I just watch shows. Perhaps if you stick to only nice Jewish stuff then this idea is not for you.

amother

Ghostwhite

Sat, Sep 11 2021, 11:32 pm

Could someone please either post the article or summarize it? I live out of town and we don't get magazines in the stores here, so I have no way of seeing the article unless someone posts it. Thanks.

amother

Melon

Sun, Sep 12 2021, 12:00 am

In that last few years I gave up
YouTube
Instagram
WhatsApp.
Life is amazing...

amother

Lotus

Sun, Sep 12 2021, 12:15 am

amother [ Ghostwhite ] wrote:

Could someone please either post the article or summarize it? I live out of town and we don't get magazines in the stores here, so I have no way of seeing the article unless someone posts it. Thanks.

Basically the writer was saying how her one window of me-time from her kids and dh during lockdown was when she would excersize on her spin bike, in begining she would listen to shiurim etc but she got bored and then a friend of hers said why dont you watch a movie, at first she was shocked but then she thought well if so and so does it why not. So shr put limits on herself, how long, only clean movies etc...and then slowly but surely she fell hook line and sinker and it became less abt the excersize and more about the need to escape to this fantasy land....one day instead of taking care of her screaming child she ran to the computer and she saw her reflection and was hit with the realization that this has to stop. Long story short she stopped cold turkey and worked really hard

Personally this couldnt have come at a more perfect time. My husband just came home from shul tonight where the rov gave his annual shabbos shuva drusha imploring everyone to get filters on their phone. I know I am addicted and often find myself binge watching tv as well (especially in the begining of pregnancy when I am sick as a dog stuck in bed), and even if im not watching a/t I am on instagram for many hours a day. My husband has been begging me for both of us to get filters and I just keep pushing him off....after todays drusha I know its gonna happen wether im ready or not

amother

Ghostwhite

Sun, Sep 12 2021, 1:46 am

Thank you for the summary.

amother

Emerald

Sun, Sep 12 2021, 1:53 am

following. thanks for the inspiration