Facebook. It’s easy to drop all the other platforms, but even my homeowner association insists on using FB for communication, which locks everyone into Meta’s data harvest. 🤢

Reading on my e-reader (e-ink) or print books. Short periods - eg waiting for a kid to do something - are good for poetry. Meditating. Listening to music. Listening to podcasts. Sometimes I’ve taken out some paper and doodled while listening to something - which is really gratifying (even though I’m no Picasso). I also cook, which is wonderful. Or I go for a long walk. I’m also actively trying to fill my time with offline human engagement - volunteering twice a week and participating in a men’s group (a safe space for men to share their experiences).

These guys give me the creeps. I’ve canceled my Spotify account - I’d rather not support a platform that promotes this kind of garbage (de-googling and de-FBing, too). Don’t worry, I’m not telling you what to do - just sharing what I’ve done. 😉

Det lyder lækkert ☺️

Wow, smukke billeder - det giver ro i sindet bare at se på det. Jeg gik i skole med Ryder og synes det er så fedt at han har udviklet noget som har hjulpet så mange. Jeg er lige rykket over til en fysisk notesbog igen efter mange år, men jeg arbejder stadig på at skabe rutine omkring det, så jeg ikke ender på bærbar eller smartphone hver gang…WIP! 😊

Altså vegetar chili? Elsker chili 😋

Agree - love Mullvad!

You’re so right: perfection isn’t the goal. It sounds like you have a good sense of what aspects of digital life can be helpful and which can be harmful to you. And how to use hardware and apps to lead you to the moments that bring you joy - such as time with your friends and playing the guitar.

It is encouraging that we’re seeing more e-ink and other technology to counterbalance the potentially toxic rabbit-holes of modern tech. I hope for a future in which we rely on tech as true tools, not attention eaters. I love having a blender in my kitchen, but I don’t want to spend time with my blender beyond blending. Somehow computers have become more than computers.

Anyway, I’m happy to hear that you’re finding ways to address the parts of tech that make you feel bad. And I hope you continue to find ways to prioritize non-tech moments with friends and strangers and music and nature — all the things that humans loved before we invented computers and smartphones.

That’s helpful, thanks. I’m guessing they charge a premium because they provide a service. I’m not afraid to tinker a bit, but my interest in Linux is not tinkering - it’s to switch to a freer, more sustainable OS. So I’m curious about services that offer support.

For that reason I’ve also looked at Tuxedo computers, but I’m worried that I’m locking myself into another company’s OS again (from Microsoft/Apple to Tuxedo) rather than having the freedom to choose my own distro. But I guess with support comes a price: less freedom.

Right now I’m deeply locked into the Apple ecosystem. Apple makes wonderful hardware and apps, but it’s still a straitjacket, even if it’s a designer straitjacket. 😀

I hear a lot of pain in what you say, friend - I wish you every kind of goodness and hope you find ways to ease your suffering. 💜

It sounds like you’ve done a lot to minimize your digital dependence. I’ll throw some ideas at you - take 'em or leave 'em.

For music, you may want to consider an MP3 player (e.g. https://store.hiby.com/products/hiby-r1?variant=49507556720856) so you’re not streaming music. I find e.g. Spotify invasive and overstimulating in how it constantly pushes “content” at me. I’m transitioning back to MP3, and have dusted off my old MP3 backups and CDs from ye olden days.

For books, maybe even consider getting off a device - or at least increase your use of paper books, if you can. Use your local library, if possible. Libraries can also be good spaces to enter. Humane non-digital spaces. If you want an e-reader, make sure it’s one that doesn’t lock you into proprietary formats. Use Calibre to manage your ebooks. I would suggest avoiding Amazon’s Kindle. I have a Kobo. I bet there may be even better options out there. But again, prioritizing physical books might be healthy. I use my library a lot, and got myself a really nice book light so the reading experience feels nice at night.

If you still need to use a PC - eg for work - can you install apps that limit your access to certain sites or apps? For example, the Freedom app: https://freedom.to/

I’ll keep thinking of ideas. If I have any, I’ll come back to add them. Best of luck!