can't afford a fancy steam straightener so i'm just using conair, it takes like 5 mins to straighten vs. 20 mins brushing/blowdrying and tearing my hair, it seems like using the straightener is less damaging but i'm not sure?

I would think the blowdrying is less damaging. With straighteners, you're applying the heat through contact and at a higher degree.

It depends on what kind of straightener and blowdryer you have. If you have a ceramic straightener it will do less damage, and if you blowdryer is very powerful it will do more damage. The hotter your straighter is the more damaging. It seems to me that your blowdryer is doing more damage.