I’m starting to wonder what the real benefit even is anymore. Between the technofeudal landscape we live in, where billionaires own the means of communication, data is constantly mined for profit, and surveillance is baked into every layer, it feels like I’m standing at the beach, using my bare hands to push back an endless tide.

Even when I take the so‑called “liberated” path through Linux, self‑hosting, and privacy tools, it often feels futile. The web itself is poisoned. Browsers are turning into tracking engines. Sites rely on manipulation and dark patterns. Social media is full of misinformation and ragebait.

Even open-source projects are being pulled under corporate influence (ex: Firefox adoption of AI).

It feels exhausting to route around a web that’s already been captured.

So I’m asking myself: what’s the point? Why not just step away?

Why not trade the illusion of digital control for actual peace, get a dumb phone, a CD player, and check out books, movies, music, and games from the library as my entertainment?

Does anyone else feel this way? Have you found ways to reconnect with technology?

  • mech@feddit.org
    5·
    11 hours ago

    I have to admit I gave up a bit on resisting.
    When I quickly want to look something up and are hit with “Allow all tracking or manage your choices?” I click allow, cause it happens 20x a day and I’m done with this shit.
    I use the default apps on my phone cause I don’t have the whole day to customize after switching phones anymore.
    I uninstalled NoScript cause it made the internet unusable.

    • WhyJiffie@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      4·
      8 hours ago

      When I quickly want to look something up and are hit with “Allow all tracking or manage your choices?” I click allow, cause it happens 20x a day and I’m done with this shit.

      I rarely see that. I use ublock origin for years now, on PC and phone, with the social and annoyance filters turned on.

      I use the default apps on my phone cause I don’t have the whole day to customize after switching phones anymore.

      I don’t switch phones that often, and I like to know that I can trust my phone.

      I uninstalled NoScript cause it made the internet unusable.

      yeah noscript is a bit hardcore. ublock origin is basically set and forget. but it won’t work on chrome, there it only has a lite version that can only do ad blocking, to some extent. if you want to block trackers effectively that only works on firefox.

    • Magnum, P.I.@infosec.pub
      5·
      9 hours ago

      I will not touch on the NoScript topic, it works fine for me, but I could recommend you blocking Cookie Banners in uBlock Origin. That way you don’t have to click anything.