You’re right, except that most mainstream “tools” are poorly written in general. I’m not even really sure what got me into privacy, but I’d use privacy tools even if I didn’t care about my privacy simply because they’re minimal, easy to use, and almost never come with ads. Most privacy tools showcased are alternatives to big tech shitware that’s mediocre at best (because you’re the product not the customer so they don’t care about what’s good for you).
gmail: slow and filled with ads and spam
most OEM android roms: bloated as fuck, spammy, overcomplicated, and has poor battery
windows: same as above
chrome: can’t even block ads reliably
all social networks: filled with shit content, ads, and just runs slowly in general
Forget anything else, there’s just no going back after I’ve experienced software that isn’t absolute garbage.