The problem is that there isn’t a singular replacement. People use Twitter for that feeling of being up to date with everything happening in the world. Until one of the alternatives can deliver that on a larger scale, Twitter will retain a considerable userbase.
Yes, that is an overreaction. In my opinion, you should take your privacy precautions as far as you wish without significantly affecting your everyday life. Refusing to use your smartphone/not enjoying the experience because you are anxious about the data it is leaking suggests to me that you’ve gone too far down the rabbit hole and need to pull back a bit. There are measures you can take to increase the privacy of your smartphone, even if you can’t install an alternative operating system on it and need to use default Android. No it won’t be as private, but if the alternative is selling/returning this new gift then perhaps sacrificing some of your privacy is worth it (that’s something for you to decide).
The reality is that most people around the world have absolutely zero concern for their privacy and security and get by in life without any issues at all. It’s good to be informed and take precautions where necessary but it is statistically extremely unlikely that you will notice any negative change to your life because you choose to use a regular smartphone. Making choices about your privacy should come from a place of empowerment - you should feel good about them. If you are making choices because you are scared/paranoid, you probably need to take a step back from online communities such as this one. They can be useful sources of information but you can also get easily overwhelmed with information and/or try to change too much, too quickly and end up living and extremely paranoid and limited life. People who do this often then burn out and just give up entirely on their privacy, when a more moderate approach would have actually benefited them more long-term.
Pretty much. Do your thing, talk to people about it if they seem genuinely interested but definitely don’t go around trying to convince people that they need to take their digital privacy more seriously. They will view you as annoying and/or a lunatic and become permanently turned off to the concept. The hard sell isn’t anywhere near as effective as some people think.
I mainly listen to Japanese doujin music. It’s naturally good for discovery because many artists group together to form circles (independent labels) and release compilation albuns. I listen to the various annual compilation series I like, and every now and then there will be a new artist featuring on them so I’ll look up that artist and discover circles they feature on regularly. And when I discover a new circle, I naturally discover new compilation series and new artists.
The primary piracy resource for doujin music is Doujinstyle. One of the unique things about the doujin scene is that the pirates and the artists generally have a fairly good relationship. Most circles let Doujinstyle share their music because they understand it benefits them, and the minority who don’t submit requests to Doujinstyle who will always comply out of respect. As an alternative, these circles allow their music to be shared in the Doujinstyle Discord channels. Some of the artists even hang out in the Discord with the pirates. It’s a really interesting community that has formed over decades but never lost its tightknit feel.