Intentional YouTube

A reflective interface design tool to help users regain intentional control over digital media consumption.

Deliberate YouTube – Stay Intentional on YouTube A free Chrome extension that helps you stay aware of how you're using YouTube before one video quietly becomes three hours. I built Deliberate YouTube because I got tired of opening YouTube with a purpose and somehow ending up deep in the recommendation algorithm, wondering where my time had gone. I don't think YouTube is the problem. It's one of the best places on the internet to learn, create, and relax. The problem is how easy it is to forget why you opened it in the first place. If that sounds familiar, this extension was built for you. Not another YouTube blocker. Most productivity extensions solve the problem by blocking YouTube. Deliberate YouTube takes a different approach. Instead of making the decision for you, it helps you become aware of your own habits so you can make the decision yourself. What it does 🎯 Start with an intention Choose why you're opening YouTube before each session: Find a specific video Learn something Explore a topic Relax or be entertained You can even write your own goal. 🧠 Stay aware of your behavior The extension doesn't just count how long you've been watching. It looks at how you're actually using YouTube. Purposefully searching for a video is very different from endlessly jumping between recommendations, and the extension reflects that. 💭 Gentle reflection prompts When your behavior starts drifting—or after a customizable amount of time—you'll occasionally be asked to pause and reflect before continuing. ⚙️ Customize your experience Use only the features that help you: Hide recommendations Hide Shorts Disable autoplay Blur thumbnails Multiple intent modes Custom reflection intervals And more 📊 Review your habits A simple dashboard lets you look back at your sessions, intentions, and reflections to better understand how you're actually spending your time. I don't want people to stop using YouTube. I just want it to be a choice again. Privacy Everything stays on your device. Deliberate YouTube does not sell your data or upload your browsing history to external servers. Feedback This project is still actively improving, so if you have ideas or find a bug, I'd genuinely appreciate hearing from you. Both forms below are completely optional, and no email addresses are collected. Bug Report https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfN42RuoafJZqCXs-4QuxVq6VQ3L1DH0Dht7Rk6UXVXJlGR7w/viewform General Feedback https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScDIVFXXPiU77elzQ1Ugdti12gEryWSRmaSnx077aCEW9TZrQ/viewform