Want to unplug from the mainstream platforms that have come to dominate your life? Leanne Elliott has some alternatives to get you started.

Well, we have now seen what happens when tech giants throw their weight around, and governments and big media corporations dig their heels in. For some the sudden decluttering of Australian news from their Facebook feeds was a blessing, for others, it was a sign of how fragile our ownership of the digital world we create for ourselves is.

While there are downsides to walking away from ‘Big Tech’ platforms, like the diluting of public opinion across various alternative platforms, and not being able to join in on social chit chat about the latest must-watch series streaming online. But never fear, the first step to saying goodbye to platforms controlled by these digital behemoths is to gradually ween yourself off the digital dependency you have developed for them.

Finding new, alternative tech platforms can be a bit of a hit and miss experience, and, it can take a while to get used to the new layouts and features, but persistence is key. Don’t get me wrong, walking away from an account you have had for years, which has a pretty decent following and is the first place you go to contact your friends and family, is going to be hard. Starting a new social media account can be a real downer because it is like leaving a friend behind to hang out with a new crowd. You will miss the little buzz you get when all your friends and followers make nice comments on what you’ve shared online, or the joy you get when you finally get to watch the new season of your fav series which you have been waiting months for.

And let’s face it, because every second workplace has become dependent on large tech giants for marketing, networking, and information, abandoning Facebook or Google is not an option for some. In this case, why not try to change up the digital platforms you use away from work?

To help you start your digital detox from mainstream here are some alternative platforms to get you going:

WeMe is a lesser-known social media platform that puts privacy at the forefront and doesn’t sell your data.

Gab is another social media platform that champions freedom of speech and “the free flow of information”.

Internet Archive’s Movie Archive has over six and half million free videos and movies for you to browse through and watch. There are several filters that help narrow down your choices.

DailyMotion is a great platform for the latest News and Information as well as hosting a huge assortment of movie channels.

BitChute is a video platform run by a small team, and it is entirely funded by donations and membership subscriptions.

last.fm helps you to leave your old playlist behind and find some alternative tunes from all over the world.

Dribble is a site for digital creatives to network, showcase their skills and sell their work.

Photo by Junior Teixeira from Pexels, (cropped).