This persistent infantilisation of users is going to lead to a crippled world. Basic computer security and hygiene is not rocket science. We should start teaching this from school level so even "ordinary" people can make informed choices rather than being confined to gilded cages whose perimeter will eventually expand to encompass even the tech folk, as the gatekeeping power of these companies grows ever larger, with malware attacks acting as the convenient foil.
Why SHOULDN'T phones and computers be "infantilized" the same way cars, microwaves, iPods, toasters, electricity outlets, etc. are? They're just another appliance, and 99% of people use their devices for information consumption & entertainment rather than content creation. Regular users shouldn't have to give up ease of use to satisfy developer needs. Android is so fragmented today precisely because Google decided to cater to OEMs instead of users first, and like it or not, the walled gardens ARE a lot safer than Windows/Android, regardless of whether you follow security best practices.
Most users don't need that level of power or customization and it just opens up not only attack vectors but general UX confusion. Hide that sort of thing behind an admin mode or whatever, but otherwise, yes, PLEASE hide dangerous functionality so people aren't exposed to them.
Users aren't asking to be treated like children, they just don't want to have to think about zero-days and layers of config menus because some developer in an ivory tower valued "muh freedoms" too much.
