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I agree. Using a VPN for social media or reading emails is self defeating as your true identity is revealed anyways. No need for those. Daily web browsing does not need a VPN as there is no need for anonymity on the known internet. Need for a secure connections is normally supported by secure https connections, so using wifi hot spot the HTTPS still provides encryption such as for logins or emails.

What else is left over for some users to use a VPN other than illegal torrenting or something else illegal?

There are some people who need anonymity such as journalists or reports and perhaps gov't branches, but this group of people most likely use the TOR web. Or use both TOR and a VPN.

The VPN original purpose was for having company personnel to safely connect to company servers when away from the office and stayed secure. And this original purpose still exists for these people.

VPN marketing is snake oil. Pure and simple. Never used it and never needed it.

As for needing encrypted files or folders, either this is used for business/extreme security or something illegal.

The web is split off, saved and examined and probably unencrypted by the three letter groups anyways, so is there true privacy when using a VPN anyways? Probably not. Room 641 is just one example of splitting the internet and scanning it...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Room_641A

Edited by 0lds0d, 31 March 2021 - 09:31 AM.

The rest is here:
The use of VPNs and Encryption - General Security - BleepingComputer