Breaking Free from Short Addiction

Shorts are engineered like slot machines. Here is how people are breaking free: In 2023,

the Wall Street Journal reported that YouTube tuned micro recommendations to trigger the same

rapid reward patterns seen in casino design. That is why one swipe becomes 50. But users are fighting

back with environmental tricks that disrupt the loop. Some switch to DNS filters that automatically

block Shorts and Reels. Others install redirect tools that send them to a long article

whenever they try to open a feed. Many set offline windows at night so their phones

simply stop pulling new content. These small bits of friction break the trance and cut

hours of screen time, which also reduces EMF exposure and mental fatigue.