The web has gone from being a playground to being a managed sales presentation. Apps are a big part of the problem, but the only real counter today is social, and that has its own problems with integrity.
Windows is designed to breed dependence. Linux was created to provide independence. The difference informs many of the disparities between the operating systems. You could think of it like a car, with Win being an automatic transmission, and Linux a manual. Yes, you'll have to learn to shift, but worlds will open up when you do. Or, as George Clinton put it, "Free you mind, and your ass will follow."