Today is Digital Independence Day (#DID #DIDit) — observed for the first time on January 4, 2026, and from now on on the first Sunday of every month.
Not an awareness day with a discount code, but an invitation to pause — and to begin again, together.
Over the past years, Europe has become deeply dependent on a small number of digital infrastructures, companies, and even individuals. Our communication, relationships, and public debates increasingly take place on platforms that did not grow out of our own social context. This is not inherently “evil” — but it has consequences.
Many of these systems are designed to capture attention, accelerate engagement, and reward conflict. They are driven by profit incentives and, too often, by ideological frameworks that normalize exclusion and authoritarian thinking. Dialogue, mutual understanding, and democratic stability are pushed aside — along with ethical standards, respect, and basic human dignity.
This becomes visible when digital spaces stop being places of exchange and instead reward polarization. When visibility is unevenly distributed, and respect and factual accuracy lose reach, the public sphere as a whole suffers. Yet many institutions, media organizations, and civic actors remain present on these platforms — out of habit, necessity, or lack of alternatives — unintentionally reinforcing the very dynamics they criticize.
This is no longer just about personal preference or convenience. Digital platforms shape public opinion, political processes, and social moods. They decide who is heard and who is ignored. Recent debates around regulation show how closely economic, technological, and political power are intertwined. That is not a reason for panic — but it is a reason to take responsibility seriously.
With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, that responsibility grows even greater. More data, more centralization, deeper behavioral profiling. Our communication becomes a resource; our relationships, raw material. External regulation alone is no longer enough. Conscious choices from within society matter just as much.
Yes, we need strong laws. But laws only work when they are supported by everyday practice.
Digital sovereignty begins in daily life — with where we choose to post, debate, and build community.
Because we are the network. The real value of digital spaces lies not in code or infrastructure, but in relationships, trust, and participation. When people move together, the so-called network effect loses its coercive power. When alternatives are used, filled with life, and made visible, new public spaces emerge — perhaps slower, perhaps less flashy, but more open and democratic.
Digital Independence Day is a reminder that leaving is not withdrawal, but a collective step forward. It is not about loss, but about shaping the future. One account fewer here, one new place more there. Conversations beyond familiar logics — and the shared realization that change is possible.
#DigitalIndependenceDay is not a symbol. It is a decision.
- For a digital public sphere that belongs to all of us.
- For a society that consciously shapes its shared spaces.
- For a digital future that takes freedom, solidarity, and community seriously.
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