The Truman Show: Reclaiming Self-hood When its Not in the Script

In my talk I will detail the concrete steps that I took and tools I used to extricate myself from the claws of Big Tech. I enjoy story telling and will also share some amusing and somewhat disquieting anecdotes along the way (with screenshots ofc).

We are all living in our own version of the Truman show, dis-reality, embedded ads , Big Tech following us around the internet ---unprecedented data collection from our sleep cycles, taste in music, and even our heartbeat in real time. The Orwellian level surveillance economy wrapped itself in convenience and clean minimalist aesthetic. Much like edelweiss and Truman's quaint home, our devices and interfaces looked harmless and happy to greet us--

Funny thing is, we didn't realize that google was actually googling us.

The last scene of Truman show embodies the friction that you will encounter when reclaiming your right to self-hood. The embedded guardrails you will discover at the points of exit are illustrative; compliance is expected and entitlement to our lives has been normalized. Much like the Director in the movie; Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and the rest believe that our private data is now their asset and that their grand visions legitimize using our data in any manner they see fit

The trap is becoming apathetic, believing we have passed a point of no return or we are too small to make a difference. If you were big enough to be a target you're big enough to affect change. The truth is we can begin again, we can use non-exploitative tools that respect our right to privacy, and we can build ecosystems of our own.

We don't have to go it alone , we have communities like Minnestar, perhaps a writing club, a neighborhood garden---We need to value each other like never before---and like Truman we have to be willing to face the unfamiliar , abandon well worn paths and patterns, and bid a final farewell to the the unblinking eye of big tech:

Good Morning- and in case I don't see you, Good Afternoon , Good evening , and Goodnight.

• Beginner
• AI/ML
• Soft Skills
• Wildcard