My guide to being anti big-tech

Here’s a few things I do that don’t give billionaires money.

1. Stop using Amazon.

At home and at work. That’s it. Cancel prime. You don’t need it. Don’t give Bezos another cent.

2. Acquire physical and digital media.

I have acquired tons of my music from archive.org in the form of live audience recorded jamband shows, and direct downloads from my favorite artists bandcamp accounts. Your favorite band probably has one too. There are limited DRM free purchase/download options for movies and TV but buying physical media from thrift stores and other means can help.

3. Learn how to use Linux, and self host.

I know it’s a long shot, but even if you simply start by dabbling with open source software with something like libreoffice (which doesn’t require an internet connection or account to use, a rarity these days with any software) you’ll quickly discover a whole world of free and open source software. Blender is the industry standard for 3D software. Da Vinci Resolve is gaining a lot of momentum for video editing. Other things like RSS for news is still a thing. Most news websites and blogs still have feeds. Immich or Photoprism can replace Google Photos or iCloud. Jellyfin and Plex can stream video. Navidrome can play music. Audiobookshelf streams, well, audiobooks, but also podcasts! I no longer have a need for Spotify. It reminds me of a statement I once heard on a podcast: “wherever you get your podcasts is a radical statement.” And never thought how true it was until I finally liberated myself. Hopefully just dipping your toe into one of these pieces of open source software can spark the same intrigue I had that got me into learning Linux and how much our other operating systems and accompanying software watches our every move. But even if it’s just to save $20 a month on Netflix, then great. Microsoft just made obsolete millions of perfectly functioning devices because AI bloat in windows 11 requires ridiculous resources for what 90% of people need a computer to do. If you have one of these such devices then congrats! You just got your first Linux server, and/or desktop. May it serve your media well.

4. Read books.

Besides having the best ratio of time to value, books expose you to new perspectives and ways of thinking. The good stories stand the test of time and disseminate ideas in deeper ways than nearly any other storytelling medium. Used books are an amazing value, they are always a guilt free entertainment purchase for me. There’s something out there for everyone. Challenge yourself, you’ll be surprised.

5. Buy used.

There’s no such thing as ethical consumption under capitalism. If we must use the internet and technology and some dumb app to buy things let’s use it to reduce demand for new manufacturing. I tend to buy items on eBay to avoid those strangely named off brand items from Amazon, and I buy used clothes on depop. Depop has a transparent marketplace fee that’s like a dollar on most purchases which is super reasonable, eBay is less transparent, and I’m sure they’re both awful somehow. But regardless, I’m usually supporting a small eBay business or saving something from the landfill while doing so.

6. Build a website.

I know we’re supposed to hate AI, and I know if you even read this far you’re thinking “how can you be anti-big tech and then advocate for AI usage?” And trust me it’s an inner conflict. And it doesn’t even have to be using AI, it just expedites and democratizes the process. Plus, if big tech is going to take away work from me as an artist and photographer, then I’m going to take money from them and use it to code and host my own web infrastructure. Claude by Anthropic seems to be the lesser evil. Instead of using it to write a dumb email you could easily write yourself though, use it to build a website in seconds and then you’ll realize squarespace doesn’t need your $20 or more a month either. Make sure it has an RSS feed and share it with friends and family. Maybe if the network effect you create is strong enough eventually you realize you don’t need Facebook or Instagram to keep up with your acquaintances.

7. Eat better food.

I know being health conscious has become a weirdly partisan issue, but I think it’s also anti-capitalist. Last year I read the book Ultra Processed People by Chris Van Tullekin. While ultra processed food is hard to define (simply chewing your food is considered a form of processing) Tullekin essentially posits that any food wrapped in brightly colored plastic created in a laboratory in the pursuit of profit over an individuals nutritional nourishment can be considered a UPF. And I’m inclined to agree. Skip the bag of Doritos next time and eat an apple or orange. Maybe instead of cinnamon toast crunch eat a fiber-rich bran cereal, of course add some blueberries and honey to make it enjoyable. I’m not saying it can’t taste good. Speaking of fiber, you know the current protein craze going on right now? Frozen green peas contain insane amounts of both protein and fiber. Which should be eaten in conjunction with each other anyway. Add some butter, salt, and pepper. They also microwave in seconds, don’t try to tell me you are too busy to nuke some peas. Mix with some brown rice you made ahead of time for the week and then add a main protein of your choice. I guarantee a meal like this will feel more nourishing than any amount of UPF snacks or takeout or McDonalds or Chipotle or whatever could ever make you feel even if it does light up your brain with dopamine.

8. Stop using social media.

This might honestly be the hardest. I keep getting sucked back in and I’m doing everything I can to focus on the real world in front of me, rather than things going on in places I can only see through this little virtual window. I can see how my algorithm shows me things to incite an emotional reaction to make me doomscroll and stay on the platform. It benefits no one besides the people in control of these platforms. Don’t kid yourself. Every second we spend on one of these apps is a second we’re not reading, writing, working on house projects, or any myriad of other things we have on our to do list. For what? I can’t find any reason to even post my artwork anymore amidst the backdrop of the current state of world. Something like fine art photography feels so pointless when the adjacent post is a video of fascism in America. I can’t stand being manipulated in this way, I have other means of staying informed. I don’t need it. I wish others would put the phone down, no matter how empowered sharing cute little social justice infographics makes them feel. We all need to enjoy the real world while it’s still here.