I could really appreciate having an AI assistant like this. As someone who has never found the right support in similar areas to what you are describing something similar to this would provide me with so much value.

If I have any specific input on this, in the coming days, I’ll be sure to share it here

I honestly watch most things with subtitles, as it helps me process the information better, so this is very relatable

Why is this so true

In instances where infantilization is involved, yes. But nowadays I won’t go back to relying on someone who does that to me

This. Mint is one of my favourite distros and what I started with. I had tried Ubuntu, but this was the distro that made using Linux as a daily driver possible. Now I’ve moved on to Debian Stable. But Mint allowed me to get into Linux and get a good understanding of the basics.

Literally me

Ultimately, it depends on if it is an issue in terms of your threat model. I have noproblems with people using some proprietary tools. Sometimes you do need things to just work, unfortunately.

I don’t know if Google Camera would share the information with Sandboxed Google Play. However, something to be careful of, is if you have two apps by the same developer (Google in this case), and you have network permissions for only one of them. The developer could share those permissions with their other app. TheHatedOne did a podcast episode on this. He checked with a GrapheneOS developer beforehand, and found, that this is possible.

Well, since you asked, I will mention some things.

Firstly, I am tired of being infantilized. So many people have done this to me in my own life. People who call themselves friends and family who want me to succeed and do well. It’s makes me extremely enraged. I am very sick of people belittling me in this fashion. I absolutely hate it. Can’t people just give me some respect and autonomy as my own self? I don’t understand the obsession with wanting to control other people. In fact I am very tired of it. I feel people do not respect me.

Secondly, I feel very lonely, and have very few genuine friends. I have some online friends who are good. But very few irl. In fact, I am wanting more autistic friends. I am planning on going to social groups for autistic people. I am hoping this works out for me. I won’t lie, I am nervous about it.

Thirdly, why is finding a job that is suitable to my sensory needs so difficult for me? I am tired of it. I listened to people for too long on what I should do with my life. I bitterly regret doing this. I made a lot of decisions based on what people thought I should do. This was all infantilization, and it was more what these people wanted me to do. I’m really fed up, people suck.

I wonder how many users Matrix has?

Looks like enshittification of the internet is really kicking in. Decentralized platforms, and piracy needs to be the new normal

Thanks for the additional info. I installed Arch, it was far less daunting then I anticipated. In fact, it was prettt straightforward. I’ll look into your suggestion.

Sounds interesting, I’ll give this project idea a go

Thank you

I really like these suggestions, I’ve always wanted to contribute to FOSS software, but always felt underskilled. I will add this to my list of things to do to challenge my Linux and basic programming skills.

Thanks for this, I think I will give Arch Linux a go, and avoid GUI file management. My plan is to daily drive my X220 for more lightweight tasks as it’s a nice laptop to use. So using Arch on it may just force me to have to use Arch as a daily driver if I want to use a nice laptop keyboard.

Do pinebooks use Arm CPUs?

Only potential security issues, would be related to a lack of maintenance on a particular project. If an open source tool has not been updated for over a year or more, then it may have security vulnerabilities. I usually won’t use something if it has not been updated for a year or more.

However, people who make that claim, seem to subscribe to security by obscurity. They may think that the source code being public makes it more likely to be exploited for vulnerabilities. But I would say that is a strength, since many people can verify the security of a project and can have patches applied. In standard proprietary software, a security vulnerability could exist for years, without being patched because no one knows it’s there. It may or may not be exploited within this time.

It is our responsibility to choose the digital tools we use wisely, and to be mindful of a lack or drop of maintenance on a particularly project.

I’ll give it another go with your suggestion

Something that was suggested to me, by my therapist, is a book called Scattered Minds by Dr. Gabor Máte. It is well researched, and ultimately it provides long term solutions. Getting through a book in your current state, may not be ideal. But you may find an audio book version easier.

For now, you need to do things that will help you now. Firstly, make sure you are doing things you enjoy, and getting time to rest, and relax. If not, you will default to instant gratification. I know, because I am the same. When I am tired, overworked and overwhelmed, my ADHD gets very bad. A week ago, I was in a terrible state. I made so many mistakes at work, I was worried it was going to cause me to lose my job. After this week finished, taking time to recover really helped me.

Also, maybe try doing some exercise. For now, just start small. Maybe limit the time you spend doing the activity, to avoid overdoing it. For any new habit, starting small is very important.

You may also benefit from this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH7N9YRxMYc

Go for walks, take breaks from your study, when you have time, and just take a walk around your neighbourhood. If you need stimulation, you could listen to music, or a podcast you enjoy. Personally, I sometimes find it very helpful to take myself away from anything that will trigger an instant gratification loop. But ultimately, going cold turkey isn’t the answer.

Right now, don’t focus on huge strides, like not watching YouTube, or not listening to podcasts. Focus on taking time out in small amounts to just be present with yourself, how you feel and just trying to be aware. Honestly, even doing this for 2-3 minutes is really good for you. If you need something to guide you through doing something like this, you could try Medito. It’s a meditation app by a nonprofit. The daily meditations can be done in whatever time period suits. I think the lowest is 3 minutes. But 3 minutes is still a good effort. You need to reward yourself for every small win. Going for a new habit that is monumental, and will only discourage you, and take away what motivation you have.

I can suggest more, but I am hesitant to do so, because too many things at once, when you’re already struggling might overwhelm you. I hope you get something from my suggestions, and that you feel better soon. I know how hard and difficult it can be sometimes. You can do this. : )