I recommend the article author’s book Stolen Focus. An interesting read. Not so much a self-help book providing solutions to the problem (such as Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism or Deep Work books) but an analysis of the problem and in some ways vindication for us, the masses, who are being constantly manipulated by tech companies that spend billions on psychological methods to keep us hooked and brainwashed.

One of the most impactful parts of the book, for me anyway, points out that while we assume smart speakers and phone assistants are listening into our private conversations to provide the data necessary for Google and their likes to miraculously provide ads for things we may have talked about offline with a family member or spouse (a scary prospect in itself) the reality is even more scarier. They don’t need to listen (although if they can I bet they will), they already know us better than we know ourselves to the point that they know what we are likely to think about before we even know it ourselves and so provide the right ad at just the right time giving the creepy sensation that they were somehow listening to us.

The book has made me much more privacy conscious. Tech is unavoidable but don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Spread your tech needs and subsequently your data across multiple different companies that have better track records for privacy. Make it harder for any one company to connect the dots and be able to know you better than you know yourself!