I have YouTube Premium but I have to use ReVanced to block shorts because it's terrible for my ADHD. My mental health has improved ever since I ripped that fucker out of my life.
I want to control what I see, and this isn't even about them being paid anymore, it's just about forcing me to see what I don't want to see.
I know it will eventually be blocked by YouTube like Twitch did but you could try ublock Origin with this filter list or another custom filter list. Works pretty well for me.