First and foremost I need to give a shoutout to Derek Sivers for his project here: Tech Independence. This article/project was very inspiring to me and I'll do my part in evangelizing the concept.
The recent back and forth regarding TikTok and it's possible banning really brought this idea back into the bright lights for me. The idea being to reduce as many technical dependencies as possible regarding any particular software or company. It's a sort-of homesteading on the web. I'm not saying there is anything wrong inherently with social media, however there is a certain dependency that was highlighted when TikTok was (shortly) banned. The outrage! People losing their livelihood! I'm not without sympathy, nor empathy. It was just a reminder to me as to why I enjoyed building this site so much; I'm not relying on any one company to stamp myself on the web. Establishing independence is building your own net when companies you lean on go under, or against your values.
"Tech independence is not depending on any particular company or software."
--Derek Sivers
Life can be unpredictable, and our dependencies on each other are stronger than they've ever been. My article Respect the Chain goes into a little more on my thoughts on modern life and how interlinked so many parts of our daily life are. The cloud is great, but always follow the 3-2-1 backup plan. 2 types of media, and always a copy offsite.
I recommend Veeam Backup & Replication for ensuring all your important data is backed up. It's free and works great. Don't be afraid of diving into Linux, either. It takes just a little time to learn something that is also free and secure. I like to think of myself as an open opportunity OS user. I'm permitted to like some things about an operating system while disliking others. I don't hate Windows and I don't love it either. What is great about Linux is that it is open source and free to use. If you're just starting out with Linux I would recommend Ubuntu, Mint, or Zorin.
If you're using Youtube to earn income, remember that you probably don't own Youtube. You probably don't own TikTok. Facebook. Instagram. All these platforms are susceptible to being gone in a flash. Whatever platform you depend on, think about the ways you can continue to be sustained even if they are gone. Video content? Make at least sure you have 3 backups per the rule. Save your content off platform. I'm sure at one point MySpace would have been thought to be a permanent fixture.