I have noticed that even if I try to listen to a shiur, music, or an educational video on YouTube, pictures of immodestly dressed women will appear in one way or another. The same thing happens on a variety of sites and especially in movies and TV shows. Because a filter can't fix this issue it seems there is no option but to quit using sites like YouTube where it's not certain what will appear; the same thing goes for TV shows and movies.

This is hard to accept since there is incredible value in what is offered by the internet, yet even the most interesting history video for example could have something that one would regret seeing.

It's hard for me to see any justification for continuing to use the internet freely. If anyone has one please post it here. Otherwise, please offer your advice on how to adapt to using the internet in a much more restricted way.

Apologies if this is the wrong place to post this

Hi -_- 
welcome!

Yup, I've been there.
As for myself I learned that open internet didn't make me happier. 
After some time on gye I tapered down my open internet access.
I got a filter (netspark)
Blocked social media
eventually I blocked YouTube.
Currently I have a white filter and if I ever need to use an unfiltered device I keep accountability with a fellow gye member.


Wishing you much hatzlocha!

i had youtube and mobilevids open on a "filtered" setting but no matter what the gedarim I made or the settings i added it always led to no good. I was convinced I needed it just to be entertained but B"H someone pointed me in the right direction and I now have reset my entire filter to just the things i need on a whitelist with image and  video blocking. The fight isnt over but now i jave a chance at winning

This is "The Thread of Heroes". Yes, you may be made fun of and maybe will be sometimes inconvenienced, but you have caused simcha by Hashem to a degree we cannot fathom. Every guy who whitelists and gives up YouTube and the like, is bringing Moshiach and a ruach tahara to our world that much faster.

P.S. YouTube is a portal to Hell on this earth. How many guys who tried to get clean are wallowing in demoralizing guilt because they began their Internet session with something "kosher" on YouTube and then just headed south...

I wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't delete youtube.

Also think about ways to use the time that you were getting inspiration from someone else on youtube....and create your own inspiration through learning chadisus or chumash or listening to some good music going out to eat ....
My biggest challenge from internet was/is time wasting - porn is bad - but the most i have ever done pales in comparison to all the "nonporn" waste of time - even if somehow its clean/no lashon hara/ no violence/ no lies/ no girls (prob gye is the only site that qualifies)))) 

Made me smile a lot

In my experience even watching videos that aren't explicitly inappropriate, meaning the main topic of the video should be fine, can turn out terribly. Even a funny video that seems clean can have swearing, dirty jokes, immodest dress, and more that will make you regret watching it. Above all it's a waste of time.

Could it really be that bad? I'm curious to know more specifically what you are talking about

I’m struggling with this. Have gone through fases in regards to this. My biggest problem is finding what to do with the time I used to fill with YouTube and other recreational internet use. I’m trying to get into reading, but as mentioned above that can also be problematic sometimes.

Once I started to track my falls I saw that most like 70% started with watching a kosher video on YouTube and eventually led to a fall (from triggers in the video or suggested videos). Since then I cut out YouTube and have had a much easier time keeping my streak.

Hi I have Gentech that blocks the YouTube website only (not the app) however I’ve disabled the YouTube website as well on a trial basis since there are times you can see immodest parts of videos. 

-_- wrote on 12 Jan 2022 17:51:

I can't speak for all non Jewish fiction books because I haven't read all of them but even something that might be considered "clean" (like Harry Potter or the like) still has much content within that can be triggering. Its just whats been accepted in society that everything has to have a narrative with guys and girls.

Not to mention the tremendous amount of bittul torah through all of these things. Keep in mind that your brain only has room for either torah or arayos and not both. So the more you do thats torah the less space there is for arayos to come in.

When I first started going cold turkey from these things I spent a ton of time listening to shiurim, listening to good Jewish music (mbd, eitan katz, motty Steinmetz, etc.), and reading rabbi shafiers books

Also played an insane amount of chess and sudoku. Really a lot of it. Because I couldn't learn torah all day and its clean (if there's no ads).

If you're not ready to quit non-jewish books, check out Kosherbooks.org
They have reviewed close to 5,000 books and ranked them for all ages. Beware that they have a comments section for each book, so some comments may be triggering. There is an option to download the list as a pdf, and to download it without the comments (Just the rankings)

OivedElokim wrote on 13 Jan 2022 00:18:

I think that is an excellent point. In my opinion, I don't think there is a one-size-fits all answer to the question, "should I block YouTube altogether?" I think it depends on your point exactly.

In the time that you are not watching YouTube, what will you be doing? If the answer is, using someone else's unfiltered device and/or masturbating, then maybe having YouTube on your filtered computer isn't so bad. GenTech has different filtering options for YouTube that are pretty good, in my opinion.

Like all other social media, a lot of YouTube is just firing on the same brain synapses that P does, just milder. The scrolling, hunting for the "perfect" video, how it's easy to get stuck on it for hours, feeling numb after... sound familiar? It can lead to much worse. I never thought I could let go of recreational internet, but now that I have greatly curbed it, I have found I don't really need it. I've replaced the time with more worthwhile things. If there really is a video you must watch, just use 613tube.org; it's not perfect but it is filtered and doesn't give you recommended videos.