FocusTube: A Chrome extension that hides YouTube Shorts

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Tools and Techniques to Block Shorts

  • Many alternatives to FocusTube are shared: uBlock Origin filter lists, custom CSS/filters, Brave’s “YouTube Anti-Shorts” list, FreeTube, NewPipe, SmartTube, TizenTube, Unhook, UnTrap, Control Panel for YouTube, AppBlock, ScrollGuard, Leechblock, Tampermonkey/Greasyfork scripts, and router/hosts-level blocking.
  • Common strategies:
    • Hide Shorts sections and other “doomscroll” surfaces (home, sidebar, search).
    • Redirect youtube.com/shorts/VIDEOID to watch?v=VIDEOID to avoid the vertical, infinite-scroll UI.
    • Disable watch history to kill recommendations and Shorts on web and app (though this also removes useful recs).
  • On Android, people discuss ReVanced and potential future limitations from Google’s signing requirements; some fall back to sideloading via ADB or custom ROMs.

Sentiment on Shorts vs Long-Form Content

  • Strong hostility: “AI slop”, stolen clips, low-context, highly addictive, and “brainrot.” Many say they never intentionally click a Short.
  • Some praise: quick sketches, cooking/woodworking tips, previews that help decide if a full video is worth it, and relief from padded 10–20 minute “YouTube-optimized” videos.
  • Several note the Shorts algorithm often surfaces more relevant topics than the main feed, but they still prefer to find or watch the full-length versions.

Addiction, Time-Wasting, and Mental Health

  • Numerous comments describe Shorts/TikTok-style feeds as “digital drugs” or akin to gambling: infinite scroll plus variable reward loop leads to hours lost and post-use “hangover.”
  • Some users explicitly block Shorts because they’re too personally addictive; others say they feel no pull at all and see the panic as overblown.
  • Debate arises over whether any leisure that’s “just for fun” is hedonistic vs a legitimate use of time.

Critique of YouTube’s Design and Incentives

  • Widespread frustration that Premium users can’t opt out of Shorts or algorithmic feeds; “don’t show me this” is seen as a placebo.
  • Product decisions are framed as hostile: forced Shorts entry points, limited controls, “show fewer” instead of “never,” and AI/ads pushed everywhere.
  • Many see this as engagement-metric optimization by PMs and executives, likened to addictive industries (gambling, tobacco).

Kids, Regulation, and Broader Media Debate

  • Parents express difficulty blocking Shorts on kids’ devices; some advocate focusing on encouraging creation/other activities rather than pure technical blocking.
  • Multiple calls for legal requirements to let users opt out of algorithmic feeds or for broader regulation of attention-extractive design.
  • Others argue that panic over Shorts repeats historic moral panics about novels, TV, or writing itself; the real issue is structural incentives and modern work/life patterns, not the medium alone.