I have hundreds of friends both IRL and online, hang out with lots of different people every week, have piles of hobbies (many involve tech), and run a b2b company serving major silicon valley tech firms.

I also don't have a smartphone and I almost exclusively use open standards and open source software, most of which I self-host in a rack in my closet. The only way I can be reached is e-mail and matrix.

You do -not- need a smartphone or FAANG to live a rich technical life in 2022 though many in the US sure seem to think you do. In the USA, you go to Defcon and see google/apple/discord nonsense everywhere. Even the privacy village (ugh). Go to CCC in Germany and you will see thousands of people gathering and exchanging ideas with only open software and protocols, because they don't trust US big tech.

The fact so most in the US, like you, think that app culture and surveillance capitalism is required to thrive in our online world is evidence of some very successful marketing.