I have found youtube to have become actually the opposite of addictive: annoying. The recommendations are always the same unrelated, popular garbage. Back in the day the videos were actually from different, related channels.

The front-page seems to be filled with fake-news and videos containing unnecessary jump cuts to keep the the attention of hyperactive 8-20 years olds, that can't concentrate for longer than 5 seconds.

You approach however is the same that I use to ween myself off things that I notice take up too much of my time. It is quite effective indeed.