A simple userstyle sheet for youtube that takes out all that is distracting
A naked search box
Creates a clean front page, devoid of youtube video suggestions, showing just the search bar.
Why? Imagery affects mood and you never what you are going to get on the front page. Sometimes it shocks, sometimes it distracts, sometimes it repulses, sometimes it takes you on an side track, losing valuable time.
With the stylesheet activated the front page doesn't subject you to these stimuli and let's you be focused on what you wanted to search for.
Comments hidden
There are precious few videos with useful comments - on the whole it's not worth the trouble of having it activated. Worthwhile videos will be talked about on other sites that do have worthwhile comments. That is where it is at.
For this reason, this stylesheet will hide the comments section entirely.
Minimally displayed related videos
The sidebar on the right has video suggestions, often of completely unrelated things and often sparking subtle emotional reactions ranging from disgust, to humour etc.
This stylesheet removes the image previews so that it only shows the video title. Hovering over any video listing brings up the image preview so if you do continue your viewing experience, you know what you're clicking on.
Search filters permanently shown
To search productively, using search filters is a must. Youtube has hidden these behind a dropdown, adding needless steps to making frequent types of filtered searches.
The search filters are now displayed by default on the search results page, allowing easier, faster, more convenient access.
Install a userstyles extension for Chrome/Chromium or Firefox and import the stylesheet.