Ask Lemmy

You are running into the individualistic vs societal issues problem. A big component of fighting back is taking on corporate power via industrial regulation.

I don't know if I've checked out of technology, I just only use the stuff I want. YouTube can be insidious for me but yeah unless it's for work I just do some hobby Linux or programming stuff. I prefer e-readers, I access lemmy over the web instead of an app, I mostly use my phone for it's GPS and communication.

But I get a lot more enjoyment from hanging out with my friends doing outside stuff. Why not get involved in the maker space, do electronics and stuff.

I'm not about to give it up but I'm reducing it by a lot.

I really hope this becomes a trend, I'm really tired of smart phones and everything in our lives having to go through them.

You know what? I'll start leaving it at home more often. Most times I'm at a walking distance from home.

I am wondering if it would be cheaper to buy a small patch of woodland than buying a new GPU when mine dies. Make a little shelter and play a few small steamdeck games perhaps and leave it at that.

For me it really was the fediverse that saved my opinion of tech, at least at the start. From that I found HackerNews (which I don't use anymore for reasons), then omg.lol, and went down a rabbit hole of self hosting that ended with me finding my love for tech again. Because it is disheartening, and a lot of how tech is now is just... Bad for you (and, admittedly, fedi's no different there).

I also just... Disconnected from how a lot of tech is being run. While, yes, I'm doing this to avoid big tech, it's also just fun for me, and I'm not gonna have Google being evil ruin a hobby that's been with me for life.

That being said, I do a lot more analog stuff now, or stuff that's digital but removed from the internet. Knitting, writing (though that is on a computer), journaling, boardgames, I'd even class about half of how 3d printing works in this. It's about finding a balance that works for you

There is the whole thing with hospitals using technology and I do like navigation systems and such too.

But yeah apps in general if I find myself using too much I will delete on spot and social media layouts were too confusing for me anyways.

Only exception has been voyager because it's a source of news not funded by literal fascists.

It all really depends. If you're worried about corporate control of everything, we are actually in a really good place, and the future is looking up. Linux is easier to use than ever, and open source adoption is increasing. EU countries are in the midst of weening themselves off of closed-source software from US tech giants like Microsoft. Additionally, self-hosted software is mature enough now to provide genuine alternatives to paid close-source services (Jellyfin instead of streaming, Immich instead of Google Photos, etc).

While I hate AI for a multitude of reasons, users are starting to push back on it, and the eventual bursting of the related financial bubble may take care of the problem for us. Companies will start listening to users again and de-shittify their products when they start losing enough money.

I think the major thing that has changed, and which may be affecting you, is the overall attitude toward the Internet, big tech companies, and technology in general has changed. As a millennial who lived through the rise of home Internet and online communities, I used to have a ton of optimism toward the Internet and big tech companies like Google (remember "Don't be evil"?). There was so much promise and opportunity in the Internet and most people thought that it was changing society for the better. In hindsight, we were we wrong. Big tech companies became just as evil and greedy as big companies in other industries. They used their power and influence to corrupt and enshittify the Internet and related tech for their own ends. And don't get me started on social media.

The good news is that there are still pockets of light on the Internet, populated by tech-savvy users, who tend to be on the higher end of the intelligence scale. It's why I'm on Lemmy and not X or Facebook. My advice to you is to spend your time on the Internet in places that enrich you, especially smaller communities and forums. As for your meat-space friends and relatives, become a tech-evangelist and show them that there are open-source and self-hosted alternatives to the enshittified products offered by big tech companies. We have more choice now than ever.

I hear ya. I have always loved tech. Its been the space i worked in, so it feels like i am turning my back on a lot of my beliefs, but its happening. I visit very few places online now. Its very specific sites. Probs less than 20 TBH.

I am becoming increasing hostile esp to providers who push my bounds on privacy. Example i just picked up some insurance they told me i had to use their app after i signed up, i asked for a browser link they refused. I requested a full refund. Idiots. But i agree its hard to escape the clutches even to just function...you drive you have to give details. You want a house you have to give details.

I craft and make. I enjoy that. I also agree fediverse is a real help when i am feeling out the loop.

Im.. Getting there. For now I built my own cloud at home.. But browsers themselves are becoming a problem.

Technologies are just tools. They are not everything in life nor is the internet the whole world. Use them to do what they help you in meaningful ways. Don't feel the burden that you have to participate or be dragged into it. Take a break if you need, walk away, and maybe you'll find out other things that you can grow / develop / worth spending time and energy on.

What about Gaming and TV shows?

I hope there will be a backlash. Stop subscribing en masse for a few months and maybe they'll see the benefits of being positive and assisting society rather than all of the Snidely Whiplash bullshit that is going on.