About Me: Why I Started This Journey

I’ve always enjoyed technology. I signed up for my first email account at the local public library when I was about 10 (it was a hotmail account). I remember the pre-Google days of searching for things on the web (it was very hit-or-miss). I remember what it sounded like connecting to the internet through a 56k modem.

As fondly as I remember these things, I’m glad technology has moved on. I like being able to click on a video and not having to wait 5 minutes for it to buffer. I enjoy being able to instantly satisfy my curiosity and look things up on my phone whenever a question arises. I love being able to watch, read, interact and connect with people all over the world from the comfort and convenience of my home. Indeed, I am grateful to live in this Digital Age. So, as much as I might criticize Big Tech on this blog, I’m anything but anti-tech.

Similarly, this blog is not here to create a tin-foil-hat army. I’m not paranoid about what Google or some other company knows about me. I just would like a better balance – and where possible – better values that align closer to my own. I don’t necessarily think these Big Tech companies or the people connected to them are acting with malicious intent. They are doing what many people and businesses try to do: maximize profits, secure market share and hold on to whatever power and influence they have. I am just exercising my ability to choose what businesses I actively support – and helping others do the same.

Reaching the Breaking Point

Until fairly recently, I used various Google/Big Tech products and services to organize and manage my digital life. But eventually, I reached a point where I could no longer use them in a care-free way. Every click, every purchase, every search was increasingly weighed down with a nebulous sense of dissatisfaction. And the feeling was growing.

It wasn’t so much one singular moment that pushed me over the edge as it was the accumulation of many concerns that eventually changed my thinking. One theme was the willingness of these Big Tech companies to work with oppressive governments (like China). Another was their penchant for collecting as much user data as possible and then sharing it with anyone willing to pay. Then there were the monopolistic structures. Overall, it seemed like there was a new controversy or headline story coming out every week.

While all of these issues bothered me, it was the monopoly-like dominance of these companies that really got me thinking. If these companies were heading in a direction I didn’t like, the usual answer would be to simply move on from them – support the competition. But the choices were usually presented as Big Tech vs. Other Big Tech: Do you want an Android phone or an iPhone? Do you want a Mac or a Windows PC? Do you want to use Office or Google Docs?

Looking around, I began to see this dominance everywhere: From the schools that my kids attend (iPads, MS Teams) to work (MS Office, LinkedIn) to keeping in touch with friends and family (WhatsApp, Facebook) – there seemed to be no way out.

The situation reminded me of the 2008 financial crisis when various banks (and other large companies) were deemed “too big to fail”. Back then, we had built up an economic system that seemed to require the existence of certain banks and companies. I felt like our digital lives had reached a similarly lopsided state. We couldn’t live without Big Tech.

Even more frightening than all of that, was the realization that not just my data, but the digital infrastructure of entire nations, was controlled by a handful of American corporations that seemed all too willing to overlook ethics and morals in pursuit of further dominance. In this increasingly polarized world, the danger of having all our technical eggs in one basket seemed incredibly risky.

No longer able to enjoy using the products and services the way I used to, I knew there had to be another way…

The Reality Check

I decided to take action. As someone who is fairly tech-saavy and used to finding solutions on-the-fly (I work as a translator – you have to think on your toes a lot as a translator), I thought I’d have this figured out in a few weeks. I was confident that I could make a quick transition to … small tech (is that the opposite of Big Tech?).

I was wrong.

It turns out: Old habits are hard to break and convenience is hard to give up. I had used Gmail as my main email account for at least the last 15 years. My last three phones were a Nexus 5, a Pixel 2 and a Pixel 7 (all Google phones). I wore a Pixel smartwatch and used a Google Home speaker. I tracked my steps and calories on the Fitbit app. My life was organized in my Google Calendar. My todo list was in GTasks. My photos and videos were saved to Google’s Photos app. And I watched YouTube way more than I would like to admit. I had been all-in on Google.

This was made abundantly clear when I tried to download all of my Google data: It was over 390 gigabytes! Granted, the bulk of that was photos and videos, but still! And this was just Google. All the other Big Tech companies still loomed large on the horizon.

Still On The Journey

Here’s the truth: I’m not done with this transition. I’m not writing from the mountaintop as someone who’s achieved perfect digital independence. I’m writing from the trail, sharing what I’ve learned while still climbing.

This ongoing experience has changed my relationship to tech. I’ve become more aware of what I am using, why I am using it and what potential compromises might be involved. The difficulty of this process has also made me constantly revisit the “why” behind taking this route. “Is it really worth the effort?” is a question I’ve asked myself at least a hundred times since starting the journey. And the answer isn’t always as straightforward as I would like.

I’ve had to come to peace with the idea that perfect is the enemy of the good in this context. Reaching full Big Tech autonomy is a long, hard road – and it’s possible I’ll never reach that goal. But two things I do know: I’ll learn a lot on this journey and it’s a journey worth taking.

Living in Germany with my five kids, I think a lot about the world they’re inheriting – digital and otherwise. As my older kids are learning in their scouts program, I want to leave the world in a better condition than how I found it as far as it depends on me.

The convenience of modern tech is undeniable – I love what technology can do for us. I am very happy to live in a world that allows me to do and experience so much with so little effort. But I don’t want to blindly enable massive corporations in their various abuses by turning a blind eye.

We don’t have to accept the status quo. We don’t have to wait for governments or court cases to turn the tide. We can start making changes now, even if they’re not perfect.

My Mission

I want to help people realize that change is possible – and that it’s worth pursuing. Not everyone needs to go as far as I’m trying to go, but everyone can take steps to minimize their dependence on (and the influence of) Big Tech.

Whether you’re concerned about privacy, corporate power, data security or just want more control over your digital life – there are practical steps you can take. Some are easy, some are harder, but I believe they are worth the effort.

This isn’t about becoming a digital hermit or going back to the stone age. It’s about making informed choices about the technology we use and the companies we support.