Pick Your Battles

Now that you have recalibrated your point of reference, it’s time to officially begin. It’s time to SUBDUE YOUR TECH. But where to start?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Solutions will differ from person to person, since we all vary in age, stage of life, income, number of dependents, and definitely in technical ability.

This page aims to provide an answer to anybody looking for immediate practical suggestions. The suggestions are provided in three groups, classified by difficulty:

• Easy mode = Reintroducing a small amount of personal effort into one’s tech routines and reacquainting oneself with autonomy. Small wins.
• Medium mode = Easy mode + significant steps away from tech slavery. Bigger wins.
• Hard mode = Medium mode + complete overhauls of your personal digital infrastructure. Huge wins.

Nobody can immediately implement all of these changes. The important thing is to start somewhere. Figure out what works for you and what does not. Pick your battles.

Easy Mode#

• Review the privacy settings / app permissions on your phone.
• Turn off location tracking on your phone when you don’t need it.
• Turn off all notifications on your phone apart from a select few that you deem necessary.
• Turn off all biometrics (fingerprint readers, face ID). You never needed it and you still don’t.
• Cultivate a default opt out tech lifestyle. Turn opting in into a conscious choice.
• Cut back on how much of yourself you give to tech/apps that you don’t own. Do you need to take all those photos / videos and store them on someone else’s computer?
• Purge all unneeded apps from your phone. Stop letting strangers have access to you.
• Create tech-free zones in your home / tech-free times in your schedule.
• Ditch the smart watch!
• If you have a child, get them off social media.

Medium Mode#

• Where possible, use a laptop/PC instead of a phone. Review your apps. If there is a website version of any app you use, use the website version instead.¹

• Whichever browser you use, install the browser extension uBlock Origin. This extension fights against the silent and invisible tracking of your activities online.
• Stop browsing and start downloading. Fight centralised information. Review your internet habits and identify what things you really should have your own copy of. ²

• Consider using cash for some purchases. Particularly for purchases that readily expose your inner self (e.g. books, medication). We all attempt to protect our inner selves. Don’t allow yours to be silently raided.

• Avoid all “personalised” algorithms. They are not friendly. They are seriously abusive.

• Reduce your overall social media use.

• Begin using fake information online in cases where you don’t need to expose yourself but you are being forced to . This is not lying but an act of self preservation. Do not allow an online form to have dominion over you. (Does your favourite chef’s mailing list really require your full name, address and DOB?)

Hard Mode#

• Further reduce your social media use. Avoid all infinite feeds and restrict yourself into only visiting profile pages directly.
• Change your web browser. If you use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge it is particularly important for you to take action.
• Use a VPN.
• Change the operating systems on your phones/laptops/PC.
• Look into alternative software and start trying things out.
• Systemically remove all unnecessary online accounts you have created. Deleting accounts with Google, Microsoft, Meta etc. is particularly effective.

If these lists appear overwhelming, just start anywhere.

To close this section, a quote from Joe Allen’s book, Dark Aeon: Transhumanism and the War Against Humanity:

" … to [be able to] retreat [from modern tech] is a luxury—one which most people … are unable to enjoy. Duty calls. For that vast majority whose responsibilities require remaining within the system, do everything in your power to impose your own will on that system … "

Impose your will. Insist on it.