There’s a lot of talk about data lately. Massive tombs of data, being saved and transported between people everyday, thru whatever tech they employ. Giant centers taking up the energy and water that humans need to survive, but that is also being drained to contain all the data we transmit or whatever we’re doing with it…

But really… what data do I even need to be out there about me, existing in some digital form, protected by some faulty system that keeps breaking? I stopped tracking my steps because I was tired of using my Fitbit. It wasn’t really helping motivate me to move more, it mostly just made me feel guilty, and acceptant of some terrible fate for not meeting my step count on any given day. I stopped using an Apple watch ages ago, when all the notifications buzzing me started to give me a lot of anxiety. It led to me silencing almost all notifications years ago, and I thought about how all the things I was tracking for my supposed own personal benefit was not actually motivating me, it was messing me up.

There are so many journaling apps I’ve tried to use, but realized, I don’t need an app, and the data that goes with it, to do that. I don’t really expect it to be for anyone but me, and if I write it in a book, that only exists in my bookshelf, that’s fine. Much like I tend to have trouble sticking to any one format with the way I journal, I don’t want to be journaling inside of the confines of some app for the rest of my life. And what will I do if I change to another app? I still have to keep the old app if I want to look at the journal? I guess I could save it as a PDF, but all this sounds like so little fun to reminisce with in the future, what’s the point?

Cloud Storage: Never really wanted it. I use Google Drive, because I need to for my work. But I have never paid for Apple Cloud storage, I’ve always preferred portable drives. I have trust issues with Cloud storage, the main reason I don’t use it.

Things that I’ve done to get off the big Data bandwagon: I started listening to CDs and cassettes again. I got an mp3 player. If I can avoid it, I don’t immediately plug my phone in when I drive somewhere. I try not to use GPS. I try to take public transit when I can. I use cash to pay when I can. I don’t wear smart watches or have an iPhone anymore. I gave up my Fitbit. I don’t track my exercise, except using a timer. I watch regular digital antenna TV when I can, and our TV is not a “Smart TV”. I got rid of all but one of our Google devices (The one we still have has a screen where I can control lights and temp in the house, but I made our family turn off the mic). You will never convince me to use AI for many reasons, but its another thing to add to the list here— I do not use it for anything.

I would like to regularly use film cameras again, but have not yet done that. I want to use film, so I have something to hold and put in an album, and because I’m tired of having 10,000 photos (its more than that, but I can’t be bothered to check the exact number) on my old iPhone and knowing I’m not really sure what happens to those 10K roll of random photos, everything from my kids and family seeing my grandpa who’s no longer with us, to where I parked my car, to a random meme I saved to my phone, when I’m dead.

I think the more I can control what data I even put out there about myself, by questioning what tech I’m using, or programs I choose to employ, etc, the more I can feel a little bit more secure.

Someone told me they still have their old Thomas Guides, and I was like, “damn, goals.”.

Anyway, I’m just finding a lot of it is unnecessary, personally, and it feels better and freer, knowing I’m not dependent on all this crap.

Anyway thanks for reading this, I hope you are doing alright out there. It’s pretty rough for a lot of people these days.

Your Friend,

E