I have a lot of mixed feelings about all of this. First let me say the Google problem is far more troublesome and difficult to avoid. What I mean is that Facebook is totally "optional" in my way of thinking. I never had a Facebook account, and never will; at to this point in my life it has provided absolutely zero problems for me. (Or, stated differently, I can't imagine a thing that I "miss" out on by not having a Facebook account.)
Google is a bit tougher to totally avoid. I haven't used Google to search regularly in more than a few years, I chose to use StartPage (and its variants like IXQuick) as an alternative. But, I will sometimes do a Google search if I want to get the result in the form of the most current "News" display that I haven't found a real alternative for, yet. I do limit those types of searches to information about people (e.g., a sports figure) that I have no real concern in having collected into my "record." And I will occasionally use the Google image search if I am looking for a certain type of picture that I can't really find easily via the other image searches.
But, I recently had to bite the bullet and actually establish a Gmail account to make use of all of the features of my Android-based tablet, e.g., being able to register for and use the app store. Of course I set it up with the minimal amount of non-identifying personal data, and always opt out of every "sharing" or location-based setting in that whole environment. But, we all know that "where there is a will, there's a way" and I am under no false assumptions that absolutely everything that I do online (or via a telephone) is completely traceable to any agency that has a desire to know (including posting in threads here!!).
In reality I am actually a very dull and uninteresting person from the point of view of any agency really looking to find out things about people. I figure that my "privacy," such as it exists in this world, is sort of provided through a twist on the old "security through obscurity" theme. That is, my "privacy" is a function of my obscurity. (There are ~350+ million subjects in this realm at present, I am certain that at least 349 million of them are more "interesting" than I am!! lol)
I used to be a lot more concerned about all of this, in fact, prior to the wave of NSA revelations over the past year, I probably would not have even setup the GMail account, and would not have been willing to venture into the Android world at all. But, all of those revelations sort of hammered home a point that was in the back of my mind all along. And that is that none of us really have any "privacy" any more, and there isn't a whole heck of a lot that most common ordinary folks like myself can, or even need to, do about it. I mean it like this, if you've ever posted on a place like FR or even here, use Twitter to express your opinions on political and/or news topics, joined a Tea Party group and attend functions and send/receive email with the group, and probably even forwarded an email message containing almost anything "controversial," you are already on some list somewhere (maybe several lists! lol). As long as I am not actively involved in planning or participating in any criminal or "seditious" activity (which I don't plan to be!!), I really have no sound reason to take to the mattress over this. As far as I am concerned they can "know" all they want about me at this point in time. Unless I am willing to take very extreme measures and re-establish a completely new identity (and location) and go completely off the grid, there isn't really all that much I can do about it at the present time.
Sure, I still think that is makes sense to be "cautious" and not needlessly draw undue attention to oneself, and to not be sloppy and make it all too easy for not only agencies, but also identity thieves and other criminals, to know too much, too easily. Good common sense still pays dividends in this realm. This is my take on the personal front on all of it. It may sound to some like I've "given up" the fight, so be it. But, on the larger front, I am very supportive of the small handful of groups and individuals that are indeed still fighting the good fight for Liberty, Privacy, and Natural Rights. Is it still possible to beat back this tide of tyranny that is overwhelming us on this front? I don't know.....