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?
The way I see it, tech itself is still okay as long as you pirate and heavily scrutinize the software you use for quality. I’m at the point where if software is written in JS/Python/Unity/etc or is oddly large (50+ MB) I stay far away. I don’t give a single fuck if that offends anyone.
What I’ve given up on is social media. Even lemmy is fucking atrocious and 90% of its communities need to be blocked. Find a tiny forum that’s been online for 30 years with 12 nerds on it and make that your home.