One possible solution to the smartphone tracking problem for those of us who are paranoid about it seems to be a rather drastic measure of abandoning the smartphone use completely while we're on the move.
For a person like me, who uses the phone like a mini-computer, it seems too much of a sacrifice at this moment since I write articles, take photos and videos, communicate with people, and do most of whatever business of mine on the move. I guess I could switch to a paper and pen for writing down whatever I need while out and use a regular old-fashioned camera for photos though. I feel like I might try it out some time soon. To tell you the truth, it's been YEARS since I wrote something longer than a sentence using a pen)) What if this simple practice of doing something by hand inspires me to do more?
Another option is to use a smartphone for writing and photos but disconnect the phone number and all tracking apps. That is, we take an old smartphone which is not in any way tied to our identity, use it as a camera and for notes, and connect to wireless Internet only where it's available (cafe, public places like libraries, home, etc).
Yet another option would be to keep your regular smartphone with all its useful stuff, but TURN IT OFF when you're not using it. This poses the problem of being unreachable for your family, friends, or work colleagues, but this can be solved with an alternative phone line on a cheap, simple prepaid phone, just for calls.
If you think about it deeply, it will horrify you for real. We are in a net, all of us. These days, we are ALWAYS CONNECTED. It's been glorified; going global in terms of our connections, social interactions, and everything we do in general has been shown as a good thing. And maybe it is! But just think about it, there is no more personal space as such, no moments of seclusion and clarity. It's like being cooked in a huge pot of soup that is a whole planet and we are little pieces of this soup's contents boiling all together, in this liquid goo of global interactivity on all levels of our existence.
People fear Elon Musk and his idea of what's it called... global consciousness where human languages are no longer needed because we are all connected in our heads and can feel what every other person thinks...? But not because we developed natural telepathy, because someone connected us like computers.
Anyway, there are options still, from dropping smartphone use completely to changing the mode of using it. And, uh, if you haven't tried it, do the following: one night turn off ALL THE ELECTRONICS in your apartment or house completely. Disconnect it from outlets, especially in the room where you sleep. Don't use your phone alarm either, turn the phone off and use a regular clock, like in the old times.
After a couple of nights like this, you might feel the difference.
