YouTube has a new feature that you should know about: It’s important not to waste time watching useless videos.

Are you also addicted to vertical videos? You’re not alone: ​​millions of people are spending more and more time trying to scrolling when watching videos that last a few seconds, each person receives more dopamine. YouTube isn’t the first to take action in this regard, but it’s the latest to announce it: Starting today, the app will allow you to set time limits for viewing. Shorts.

The limit applies worldwide and to any type of user, so it doesn’t matter whether you pay for YouTube Premium or not. The goal is I’m warning you that you’ve probably already watched too many short videos. and that it’s time to stop, although the app won’t set the time itself: you need to set the maximum number of hours per day you want to watch.

When this time expires, YouTube Shorts will display a warning in the form of a floating window, will stop playback. It will inform you that you have reached your self-imposed daily limit and advise you to take a break. Now, This won’t stop you from continuing to slide: You can skip the notification and continue watching short vertical videos.

After the time has passed, it is not a ban that is imposed, but a simple warning that anyone can miss by ignoring it. The good news is that a warning is now available to disable infinite scrolling, which can hinder your productivity while studying or working.

YouTube lets you set limits, but doesn’t shoot itself in the foot

It is no coincidence that almost all your mobile services have introduced restrictions. scrolling vertical of endless videos: they are aware that they are addictive and have the goal is to get you to spend as much time as possible in your app..

Thus, YouTube is joining the trend of introducing this restriction, but It doesn’t go any further than making it so you won’t actually be able to play any more vertical content until a few hours have passed or the next day.. This goes against your own business, which is why no social network or video app goes that far.

Even so, if you usually need a stimulus that scrolling vertical that you cannot leave, this measure can be useful to understand that you are watching videos for too long and wasting time in front of the screen.

Are you worried about this for your children? YouTube has also confirmed that it will add this measure to parental controls by the end of the year, and there Yes it will prevent you from continuing to see Shorts upon reaching the previously set daily limit.

Perhaps the solution is to set parental controls on yourself on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), Spotify, TikTok, etc.