I genuinely do not understand why people do not like reading. Im not a super nerd and only read a few books a year but I look at the hours i spent reading those books as some of the best entertainment i've had all year.
Are there any errors in the journalctl logs? If you're booting to blank screen or terminal there is likely a crash happening with the DE launching. Maybe that will give us more idea how to fix the issue.
I've been buying old flagship phones and they seem to last a while. I got the S9 for under $300 NZD and its still going even with no security updates. I then got the S10 for some family and thats still going good.
If you want a cheap phone 2nd hand refurbished versions of good phones are in my opinion the best way to go.
How is "theft of indigenous" lands a western thing? I cant think of a single region that didnt seek to acquire more territory.