The "I'll just accept all cookies" mindset is destroying our digital privacy

I gave up trying to convince family members to care about privacy. My mom literally said "I'd rather they have my data than I waste 10 seconds of my life clicking buttons." The convenience trap is just too powerful for most people

It's going to take a major scandal or personal consequence for people to care. Until your average person experiences direct harm from data collection, they'll keep clicking "accept all" without thinking twice

The problem is deeper than laziness - it's intentional design. Cookie consent forms are deliberately confusing and tedious to encourage you to just hit accept. Companies know exactly what they're doing with dark patterns

I'm the weird one who always clicks "reject all" or customizes settings, and I'm constantly amazed how many sites still function perfectly fine without tracking. All those "essential cookies" are mostly BS

We're fighting against basic human psychology. People discount future risks for immediate convenience - it's the same reason we struggle with climate change, saving money, etc. This isn't a tech problem, it's a human nature problem

The real issue is that there's no meaningful competition. If enough major companies offered genuine privacy as a selling point, people might start caring. But when every option invades your privacy, why bother choosing?

Most users don't understand the concept of data brokers and how their information is packaged, sold, combined with other data sources, and used to create detailed profiles that can affect everything from job opportunities to insurance rates

I've started treating cookie banners like a game - how few clicks can I use to reject everything? Some sites make it impressively difficult, requiring 6+ clicks to reject all tracking. That's by design

The only solution is regulation with actual teeth. GDPR was a start but enforcement has been weak. Companies need to face real consequences for privacy violations, not just slap-on-the-wrist fines

Even "privacy-focused" browsers and extensions have limits. Firefox with uBlock Origin blocks a lot, but sophisticated tracking techniques can still identify you through browser fingerprinting

The worst part is when you're criticized for caring about privacy. "Why are you so paranoid? What are you hiding?" As if wanting basic digital autonomy is suspicious

Recently started using a privacy-focused search engine and browser, and the difference in ads is shocking. Realized just how much my previous browsing was being tracked and monetized without my knowledge