Cleaning Up My Digital Life: From Political Noise to Linux Gaming

Why I Scrubbed My Facebook Feed

Over the last few weeks I have found myself scrolling through Facebook, only to be bombarded by political comments and articles. I decided I needed to begin cleaning up my digital life.

In the last week, the number of articles regarding Jim Ratcliffe’s controversial views on immigration has been huge and the sheer volume of agreement beneath these posts was overwhelming—and not in a good way. I realized that my feed had become a battleground of opinions I didn’t want to engage with, and worse, it was affecting my mood.

So, I did something radical: I went through my feed and systematically deleted political posts and adverts. It wasn’t just about avoiding Ratcliffe’s comments—it was about reclaiming my online space. I unfollowed pages that thrived on outrage and adjusted my ad preferences to minimize the noise.

The result? A feed that’s actually enjoyable again. I still see updates from friends and family, beautiful photos of the Lake District (a personal favourite), and the occasional meme. It’s a small change, but it’s made a big difference in how I feel when I log in with my morning cuppa. I still keep The Guardian and The Times apps on my phone so I’m not completely cut off. I just need to stop reading comments under the articles!

Breaking Up with Microsoft and Google

I’ve never been a fan of being tied to big tech ecosystems plus I felt the need to swap to European alternatives wherever possible. So, I decided to audit my laptop and remove as many Microsoft and Google products as possible. The only exceptions? Google Drive and Google Photos—I need them for storage and sharing memories, and I haven’t found a perfect alternative yet.

For everything else, I’ve switched to open-source or privacy-focused alternatives. Linux replaced Windows. LibreOffice (Germany) replaced Microsoft Office. Vivaldi (Norway) now handles browsing, emails and calendar. AI is provided by Le Chat Mistral (France) and YouTube is replaced by Free Tube. Linux and Free Tube are both open source and community driven non-profit organisations. Free Tube is base on YouTube but doesn’t seem to carry advertising.There is a UK based web browser called Mojeek which I need to have a look at and Open Street Map as an alternative to Google Maps.

I have gone from having 40Gb free on my hard drive to having just short of 200Gb as well.

It’s been a learning curve, but it’s also been liberating. I feel like I have more control over my digital life, and that’s a win in my book.

Rediscovering a Classic: Pingus on Linux

One of the best surprises from this digital detox? Discovering Pingus, a Lemmings-like game for Linux. I’ve been searching for a game like Lemmings for ages—something strategic, nostalgic, and fun. Pingus ticks all the boxes. It’s open-source, runs smoothly on my Linux setup, and brings back that classic puzzle-solving joy.

What I love most is how it proves that you don’t need big-budget games or proprietary software to have a great time. Sometimes, the best experiences are hidden in plain sight, waiting to be discovered.

Final Thoughts: Why It Matters

This journey—cleaning up my Facebook feed, ditching unnecessary software, and finding joy in simple games—has been about more than just tech. It’s been about enjoying computing again, removing advertising, not starting the day wound up after reading the comments under articles, stopping “doom-scrolling”

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the noise online or tied down by software you don’t love, I’d encourage you to try a little digital spring cleaning. You might be surprised by what you find—or rediscover.

What about you? Have you made any changes to your digital habits lately? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments!