10 rules for not being a digital cretin

The internet is a blessing, a new Alexandria—affordable and global—within everyone's reach. One of humanity's greatest advances and an inexhaustible source of wisdom and functionality.

However, little remains of the hippie internet—selfless and collaborative—of its early days. The web is now a dark and aggressive marketplace of vested interests, with rather discreet ethical scruples. And—passive or heavily influenced—we allow ourselves to be swept along by it.

We're taking back control: we need to be more active online. Not more dynamic or productive, but more aware, more responsible, more sovereign. We're back at the helm of our own navigation.

Decide what you want to watch and when; choose where you want to look for it and why; have your own reference sources and, if you value them, subscribe (not everything can be free); steer clear of algorithmic recommendations and thescrollExhausting. Make sure you're the one who found the information, not the other way around.

Media websites, reputable blogs, association and organization pages, encyclopedias, thematic channels, service websites... Look for the content you're interested in on websites you trust. If the content finds you, be suspicious. Verify it with a reliable source before sharing it.

If you want to promote your activities through social media, make sure they're also accessible on your website. Don't risk losing your content and/or followers due to the platforms' business interests. Make your website (stable and secure) the central hub of your digital identity, especially if you're an organization, school, institution, or a collective cause. influencer If he wants to take the risk, he will. It won't be a great loss for humanity.

Reduce your screen time, delete apps, follow fewer accounts, and consider whether everything you post is relevant or simply a tribute to your vanity. If you do interact, be selective, prudent, kind, and above all, reasonable. Strive to be well-informed and develop strong arguments.

Excessive exposure to information leads to addiction and frustration, destroying the ability to concentrate. Silence notifications, leave unnecessary groups, unsubscribe from marketing lists, and report spam.spamand unwanted ads; set screen-free times and places –the table, the bed…–, don't check your phone for things you don't need to (the time, for example), don't expose children to screens –not even as an adult behavior pattern–, turn off notifications on your digital watch…

The ethereal term 'nigul' hides a solid reality: pollution, emissions, servers, electricity, water consumption (100 words in ChatGPT = 0.5 liters of water), minerals that strain geopolitics... Behind your lastgadgetAI hides war, misery, exploitation, child labor... Empty the cloud: disable backups, reduce email volume, empty trash, review your virtual storage, don't save or duplicate what you don't need, think before you send (onereel= 30 liters of water), releases the obsolete contents of theworkspaces...

Don't be dazzled by 'totally free': if you're not paying for a product (or service), you are the product. Don't feed the monopoly. There's more to life than Chrome, YouTube, Drive, or G Suite. Diversify and embrace open source, free software, and digital sovereignty.

The algorithm geolocates your soul and pierces it with telescopic aim. Don't make it easy for it: don't install 'apps'Unnecessary, do not acceptcookiesTo prevent tracking, periodically clear your browsing history.

E-commerce encourages consumer compulsion (24/7 global store); it belongs to large monopolies that impose their rules; it harms local commerce; it causes a large carbon footprint (one item, one recipient) aggravated by fast shipping or returns; and it generates a large bulk that is not always recyclable (30% of waste in the US).

Configure your browsing preferences in Catalan, index your content to make it linguistically searchable, promote Catalan media, create content in Catalan, learn about and use the major Catalan tool packages (AccentObert, SoftCatalà)...

This is no small matter. It's the very line between freedom and alienation. The choice is yours. The internet can make you wise—in culture and self-control—or simply turn you into another digital idiot.