In the case of Google the search engine, not necessarily. You can still reap the benefits from Google without having your data (minus your HTTP request, of course) recorded by using services like Startpage, which proxy your queries for you.
In the case of Google the platform, perhaps. The main attraction is YouTube, assuming you're not working for a company that uses Docs, Hangouts or the like. While they can build a profile from you by your search queries, if you take necessary precautions to make sure that they're going to a bogus profile (and don't do any vlogging, plus limit your commenting, obviously), you'll be fine.
Avoiding smartphones is easy, because they're not a necessity. Prepaid dumbphones are cheap and disposable. Smartphones are walled gardens, anyway, so unless you want to develop apps, they're of not much use. It goes without saying that you will not be using Snapchat, Vine, Instagram or any services like that. That's hardly being deprived of contact.
It's certainly possible and manageable to opt out, you just need perseverance and a certain technical inclination.
To stay truly private, one should also stop using email.
Even if one doesn't have Gmail account but a self-hosted email server and what not, there's big chance most of their friends will only use Gmail, so Google can gather lots of data anyway.
In the case of Google the platform, perhaps. The main attraction is YouTube, assuming you're not working for a company that uses Docs, Hangouts or the like. While they can build a profile from you by your search queries, if you take necessary precautions to make sure that they're going to a bogus profile (and don't do any vlogging, plus limit your commenting, obviously), you'll be fine.
Avoiding smartphones is easy, because they're not a necessity. Prepaid dumbphones are cheap and disposable. Smartphones are walled gardens, anyway, so unless you want to develop apps, they're of not much use. It goes without saying that you will not be using Snapchat, Vine, Instagram or any services like that. That's hardly being deprived of contact.
It's certainly possible and manageable to opt out, you just need perseverance and a certain technical inclination.