How I tried and failed to quit Google

I'm concerned about how the tech giant's broad reach and technological capability impacts my life. I'm also concerned about my reliance on the company's tools and services. Google's is so effective —

Google organizes nearly every aspect of my life. I've outsourced my memory to Google Search. Why remember things, when technology can sift and surface nuggets of information at precisely the right moment? Gmail helps me manage the unending stream of email messages and notifications. Google Calendar prepares me for every meeting, and Google Maps gets me to those meetings on time.

I'm concerned about how the tech giant's broad reach and technological capability impacts my life. I'm also concerned about my reliance on the company's tools and services. Google's is so effective — and pervasive — that disconnecting from the company's services is a daunting process. I know, because last week I tried to quit Google entirely.

"Google provides internet users with the incredible convenience of logging in with a Gmail account across a plethora of non-Google web and mobile apps. For most consumers, that sounds great," said David Kohl, president and CEO of digital advertising marketplace TRUSTX. In exchange for our attention and our personal information, Google provides us with search, communication, and productivity applications. Many consumers and businesses find this to be a mutually beneficial relationship.