I’ve been pretty bad at this lately.

YouTube is back on my phone. I removed the check-in on instagram so I could check it more. My screen time is generally fucked again. Still subbing for Duo though, so at least I am learning a little Japanese while I spiral into a digital hell.

So ya, I got to get back on track.

I guess I’ll start by removing YouTube from my phone again. I was watching a little on Firefox, but it quickly became overan with Alt-Right content and Jordan Peterson videos. So I reinstalled the app, but now it’s too easy. I am watching it all the time. Brushing my teeth, eating breakfast. I think I’ll stick to watching it on desktop for you. Problem (maybe) solved.

Instagram is still the kicker. I love it and use it all the the time. I think I need to turn on One Sec to provide interruptions again.

Okay I re-installed it and set it up. It was annoying as hell, but I guess that’s the point.

They say in therapy that progress is not a straight line, I guess unfucking the internet isn’t either.

My corner internet is a little less fucked.

Emphasis on a little less fucked. I still have Gmail and Drive. I check Instagram constantly. I have an easy time creating content for networks I hate and a hard time creating content for networks I like.

Now that I’ve gotten rid of a few apps, I know I can make a change when I force myself to. I think it’s time to take stock of what’s on my phone (and maybe throw a few web apps in there) and figure out which apps make my life better, which apps I use when I want to, and which apps are just using me.

So, I am going to make a tier list. For this first attempt, I will only consider how good the apps are for my life. 

In the future, I will consider their privacy policy, but for now, baby steps. As I’ve said before, this process is going to take a while. I will make an exception to this rule for some Meta and Google products. I can’t use them and feel good knowing how little I trust the parent company with my data.

If you don’t see your favourite app, don’t get mad. I just don’t use that app.

The basic requirements for this list are:

• Do I feel better after using the app?
• Do I use the app when I want to use it?
• Does using the app make me better, smarter, and more capable?
• If it’s a social app, do I have a community there?

s-tier apps

These apps are only good for me. Without them, I would be lost. I use them every day.

• Notion
• Focusmate
• Find My
• Screen Time
• Duolingo
• Signal
• 1Password
• iCal
• iPod/Music App (mp3s)
• Grammarly
• Authy
• iMessage
• Apple Maps
• GitHub
• VSCode

a-tier apps

These apps are always good for me with an asterisk. Mostly, I don’t just can’t force myself to use them as much as I want to/should. These apps can stay for now.

• one sec (I might get a promotion to S-tier soon)
• Discord
• Strava
• RidewithGPS
• Bandcamp
• Mastodon
• Mozilla VPN
• Appblock
• Headspace
• VPL
• Firefox
• Weather
• Apptiv
• Wikipedia
• VLC
• Brave
• Bandcamp

b-tier apps

These apps usually make me feel good but don’t really add real value to my life. Often just they are fun or serve a particular neutral purpose. Not too distracting. 

Some, like Tumblr, are just entertaining and show me things I like.

• Tumblr
• Pocketcasts
• Mail
• DuckDuckGo
• Feedly

c-tier apps

These apps can be fun or helpful, but I am either using them too much, or they are using me. Chances are, they are showing me content to make me angry. They likely have one or two redeeming features that are keeping them on my phone or daily visit list. They are candidates for guillotine if they step out of line or a better option comes along.

For some, I either feel neutral or worse after using them.

• Netflix
• Reddit
• YouTube
• Etsy (This is a me problem, lol. I love to shop.)

d-tier apps

I only use these apps because other people I connect with do, and it’s simply a numbers thing. I don’t trust these apps or the companies that run them, and I am actively trying to reduce their effect on my life.

Or, I have been using them for so long that it’s going to be a real long process to leave them.

It might not be that the service is bad (aka Google products). I just may have a real distrust of the parent company.

• Instagram
• Gmail
• Google Search
• Google Drive
• Google Home 
• Google Docs

f(ucked)-tier apps

These apps and sites need to go. No argument is strong enough to keep using them any longer. Either they are terrible for me, or I don’t want them to have the data they have.

• Google Photos
• My Amazon account (Prime’s already gone)
• WebMD, NHI, etc. (I have Illness Anxiety Disorder)

That’s it for now, I’ll keep editing this as I go.

Facebook sucks. It has sucked for years. That was bad enough, but lately, Facebook, advertisers, and the communities there are going from shitty to scary. They are spreading COVID disinformation, attempting to dismantle democracy, and, worst of all, everyone won’t stop posting pictures of their kids.

That’s a joke. It’s not the worst part of Facebook. However, we should have a conversation about whether kids can really consent to what it means to have their image exist forever on the internet. Also, using your kids for internet points may not be the best thing.

I am not a parent, though, so I’ll shut up.

Previously, when I’ve thought about leaving Zuckerland, I’ve always stayed because Messenger… and Marketplace… because I really want to hear about the political views of my Albertan oil-funded family (kidding, I don’t, and have self-banned talking about politics in-person with them).

But fuck it, this time I am done, zuck. No more. No more data for you. No more tracking every online conversation I have.

So far, this actually had way less impact on my life than expected. The people I actually spend time and talk with still message me on other platforms (Signal, iMessage, and Discord. Preferably in that order). I can still buy questionable electronics off of Craigslist instead of Marketplace. Now, the sellers are more interesting, and more posts are written in all caps.

Here’s the thing. The large group chats kind of sucked, I just didn’t know it. Often, I would just get vague invites to things on nights I already had plans on. 

Now, I just pester my friends to join Signal and create groups there. Most are annoyed but generally cave.

Next up, maybe a change on how I use Instagram? 

I would like to guillotine Netflix, but I don’t think my partner will have it. Maybe I’ll just be an elist jerk and refuse to watch it with her. kidding again.