#take back control

"I'm better on the app!"

And whose fault is that? No thank you. You let your mobile site rot to push me to install an app, which is basically a web site, so you can creep on me. This is a business relationship. Let's keep this professional. I come to your store, you do not come into my house.

"Sign up for my mailing list!"

No thank you. I am here for your product and/or service. And then I am done. Please let me shop in peace.

"Give me access to your contacts!"

No thank you. You do not get to rifle through my personal address book.

"Buy a smart light bulb with a music visualizer!"

No thank you. You do not get to put an Internet connected microphone in my house recording who knows what. Even if I trusted you with that, which I don't, I don't trust you to keep it safe and secure.

"Save money on car insurance by letting us track your driving habits!"

No thank you. Do not put a GPS tracker on my car. Do not collect all the diagnostic information from my car. I do not trust you to keep that information safe. I don't even trust you to use it to lower my insurance; I'm pretty sure you'll use that information to deny my claims. I'll spend the money on a better bike.

"Use our AI assistant!"

You’re being harassed at work. You know something’s not right. But you’re not sure what you’re allowed to do.

Here’s The Truth

You don’t have to:

Report it to your boss.

Start with HR.

Follow “the policy” if the policy is part of the problem.

You can:

Talk to a lawyer first, or a legal clinic or support org.

Start with a friend, a hotline, a notes app file.

Document it without reporting it.

Protect yourself before asking for help.

And no matter what they say, staying quiet isn’t the same as doing nothing. Sometimes it’s the smartest move you can make while you figure out what’s safe.

The system definitely isn’t built to protect you in many cases, but there are ways to protect yourself.

You have more options than they want you to think.

every platform wants your attention because your attention = profit. tiktok, youtube, even your student portal — everything’s designed to keep you scrolling, spending, or stressing. time is a resource. start protecting it like your money.

but what does that actually mean?

it means that you’re not the customer on most apps — you’re the product. companies profit by selling your attention and data to advertisers. algorithms are designed to hijack your brain’s reward system—likes, follows, autoplay, endless scroll. none of that is an accident.

recently, the ftc hosted a 2025 workshop called “the attention economy: how big tech firms exploit kids and hurt families,” highlighting how platforms intentionally hook users.

studies show that 1 in 5 teens spends over 2 hours daily on tiktok—over recommended limits—and higher usage is linked to anxiety and lower self-esteem.

researchers also warn that algorithmic amplification (like tiktok’s for-you feed) fuels compulsive use by reinforcing targeted content deep into feeds.

here’s how to take your attention back and why it matters:

1. delete one app every weekend. just for two days. a brief digital detox, like removing social media apps over a weekend, can reduce stress and improve focus.

2. if you wouldn’t pay to see it, don’t give it your full attention. time is a resource—if content wouldn’t earn your money, don’t give your attention. treat it like currency.

3. make your phone boring. moving apps off your home screen and switching your phone to grayscale can reduce its addictive pull .

4. start “micro budgeting” your attention. time-blocking your screen use—like budgeting money—improves control and awareness over where your time goes .

5. set one hour a week as “no input” time. intentionally unplugged time helps spark creativity and mental clarity.

6. stop doomscrolling as “being informed.” reading endless crisis content at night increases anxiety—limiting you to scheduled, credible news consumption is healthier.

7. pay attention to what content energizes or drains you. teens who develop awareness of what content affects their mental health can proactively curate their online feeds.

your attention is your mental energy, your focus, your time. tech companies spend billions trying to hijack it. you don’t have to quit the internet — but you should treat your attention like money. once you give it away, you can’t get it back.

and your future, your mind, and your goals deserve better. sources:

federal trade commission. the attention economy: how big tech firms exploit children and hurt families. workshop, federal trade commission, 4 june 2025, ftc.gov/news-events/events/2025/06/attention-economy-tech-firms-exploit-children. accessed 25 june 2025.

bilali, angeliki, et al. “association between tiktok use and anxiety, depression, and sleepiness among adolescents: a cross‑sectional study in greece.” pediatric reports, vol. 17, no. 2, 2025, p. 34, doi:10.3390/pediatric17020034.

“teens, social media and mental health.” pew research center, 22 apr. 2025, pewresearch.org/internet/2025/04/22/teens-social-media-and-mental-health/. accessed 25 june 2025.

It's genuinely really fun filling in the blanks. Which of course is part of the hobby. Warhammer started as an RPG after all. And inventing lore alone or even better as a community is really enjoyable! GW will never tell me about necrontyr courtship rituals or fashion or pickle barrels but us weirdos on tumblr.com can come up with all kinds of wacky shit. I as a writer can make up a whole military academy system for the noble caste because it fits a story I want to write. And nobody can "well akshually) me because hey you don't know that isn't how it worked.

I'm no longer going to care what others

1. When will all American’s stand up for what is right?

2. When will we get rid of the useless politicians, who are doing nothing but dividing us, instead of bringing us together?

3. Why is crime being allowed to escalate in our country?

4. Why are Black Lives being allowed to be slaughtered in our cities everyday?

5. Why is our Southern border completely opened to millions of Illegal aliens from all over the world, since 12:00 PM January 20th, 2021?

6. Why is our President Joe Biden and his Administration, not doing anything to stop the open lawlessness at our Southern border?

7. Why is the Toothless or blatantly inept Biden Administration allowing illegal human trafficking to continue at our Southern border since January 20th, 2021?

8. Isn’t that against Federal Law?

9. How about against American values?

10. If the Biden Administration and the Democrat’s who control Congress are not convicted in their hearts to stop the wonton lawlessness of our open Southern border and the wonton human trafficking, are we to come to a “scientific conclusion”, that they must be for it?

11. Isn’t that against the law and isn’t that not protecting and defending the Constitution of the United States of America?

12. Isn’t it time to remove a “Seditious? or completely inept” President Joe Biden and his Administration?

- All American’s, can effect these problems, at the ballot box in November.

- All American’s can demand accountability at the ballot box.

- Don’t stand for a false shutdown, so the Democrat’s can highjack another election.

- Vote against every Democrat running for office across America.

- Send Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer packing.

- Give the Republican’s the ability to Impeach President Joe Biden!

- And the ability to impeach Vice President Kamala Harris too!

- Give the Republican’s the ability to return our election laws, back to the way they were before the 2020 Presidential election. And don’t equate that with allowing Jim Crow laws to return, that’s baloney! I want all American citizen’s black, white or any other color to be able to vote at the ballot box or by mail with verification only.

- It’s called taking back our country, thru the ballot box, the way our founders would have wanted us to.

- We The People, Need To Take Back This Country!

- From The Democrat Political Tyrants who are leaving our borders open to serve their warped political agenda.

- Please share this post now!

- Please spread the word, an informed American citizen has power at the ballot box in November, if you go out and do your civic duty, by participating in the election of politicians who will protect and defend our Constitution and politicians who will create legislation that protects Black, Asian White, Brown or any other color, creed or even orientation too from the growing crime and lawlessness across this country.