Likely Normal

There was a time when no meant no. A simple, clean rejection. Two letters, one syllable, infinite power. But somewhere along the way, Big Tech decided that no was bad for business—too harsh, too final, too likely to cut into their bottom line. Now, we live in a digital world where no has been quietly erased from the dictionary, replaced by a maze of dark patterns and false choices designed to wear us down.

Take Windows 11, which treats no like an unsolved math equation. Try disabling a feature, and you’re hit with these:  (I’ll translate each of the options)
✅ “Keep recommended settings” (Translation: “Let us do whatever we want.”)
✅ “Customize” (Translation: “Spend 20 minutes digging through nested menus only to find the ‘off’ switch doesn’t actually work.”)
✅ “Ask me later” (Translation: “We’ll ask you again with the next patch.”)

The actual no button? Buried in a submenu that resets after every update.

Social media has turned no into a philosophical debate. Try turning off tracking, and you’re greeted with:

• “Improve your experience!” (Translation: “Let us sell your data.”)

• “Limited data mode” (Translation: “We’ll still track you, but feel worse about it.”)

• “Learn more” (Translation: “Drown in 8,000 words of legalese until you give up.”)

And don’t even get me started on mobile games and apps, where no is treated like a personal insult. Try rejecting a $99.99 gem pack, and you’ll be hit with:

• “Special offer just for you!” (Translation: “We know you’re weak.”)

• “Your progress will be slower!” (Translation: “We made the game unbearable on purpose.”)

• “Remind me tomorrow!” (Translation: “We’ll ask you every time you log in until you cave.”)

The message is clear: Tech companies don’t want your no. They want your resignation. Your exhausted sigh of “Fine, whatever.” Your credit card number.

But here’s the good news: They can’t actually stop you from saying no. You can close the pop-up. You can disable the feature. You can uninstall the app. And if enough of us do it, maybe—just maybe—we can teach Silicon Valley that “no” isn’t a suggestion.

Until then, enjoy your 47th special offer notification today. They believe in you. They really do.