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

I will detail concrete steps and tools I used to extricate myself from the claws of Big Tech. I enjoy storytelling and will 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 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.

You will encounter almost comical levels of friction when you assert your autonomy from these established platforms and reclaim your self-hood. As Truman did when he breaks from his routine and boldy attempts to leave Seahaven. The obvious guardrails at the point of exit for these systems is illustrative;

Compliance is expected and entitlement to our lives has been normalized. Much like the director in the film; Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk see our lived experience and personal data as their asset - believing that their grand visions somehow legitimize our collective disenfranchisement

In the face of all this its easy to become apathetic, believing we have passed a point of no return, or we are too small to make a difference. The truth is if you are big enough to be a target you're big enough to effect change. We can begin again, we can use non-extractive tools that respect our right to privacy, and we can build ethical 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 patterns and paths, and bid a farewell to the unblinking eye of big tech:

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

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