The self cannot be escaped, but it can be, with ingenuity and hard work, distracted.
Donald Barthelme
A participant in a presentation of mine recommended the plugin «Unhook». It removes the recommendations from the YouTube start screen.
And after trying it out, yeah, I’m hooked. The recommendations are designed you have you stay as long as possible on YouTube. Great for them, not so great for you (if you have a life). It’s (likely) even worse if you are logged in. After all, then YouTube knows what specifically appeals to you.
So, this plugin («Unhook», as usual: no warranty) seems like a very good idea. Yeah, you remove the serendipity, and FOMO might be a problem, after all, these sites are great at making vague promises. But more likely, you will find what you are looking for.
And most of the time, that’s enough. The really good videos reach you via other channels anyway.
