The past couple of weeks have completely shifted my concept of Cyber Wellness and developing healthy habits on the internet. Since starting my business, I've been wrestling with a giant I couldn't figure out.

Online Marketing

I entered the field of Cybersecurity to help protect people from cyberattacks and online predators. The reality is that many of the same tactics used in cyberattacks are also employed by advertisers and in online marketing. In many ways, growing my business seemed impossible without being part of the very problem I aimed to address.

For a while, I ignored this looming shadow and continued to learn more about marketing tactics. However, the more I learned, the darker the shadow grew. I faced two choices: confront the darkness or accept it. The latter meant either becoming a hypocrite as I grew my business or abandoning the whole concept of Cyber Wellness.

As part of my learning journey, I took a course on writing online (shoutout to Tim Denning and Todd Brinson). It helped me build my writing skills by posting daily on X/Twitter for a month. The goal was simply to post.

During one of the weekly check-ins, one of our instructors made a statement that blew my mind:

The Internet is Social Psychology in Real Time

This was the missing piece I needed. Thankfully, I've been studying with people like Tim, Todd, Jennifer, and a few other coaches who understand this on both a fundamental and functional level. I've attended their classes and witnessed them answer every question with what I consider to be supernatural patience at times.

These teachers would answer every question and post, earnestly working with people from where they are to where they wanted to be.

If the question is, "How do we make the internet a better place?"

The answer is "Us."

We must be better for others, which ultimately makes things better for everyone.

I am grateful and blessed to have found teachers who have taught me this lesson by living it out in their lives. I still have a very long way to go.

I started this journey to help build a better internet for my son and family. I should've known it would be hard, but I still feel it's worth it.

Launching the Cyber Wellness Crew

Since the answer is us, the next step is to find people who share the same goals. This isn't something that can be done alone. But together, we can teach each other how to use technology in a way that's healthy.

This community will feature monthly challenges to detox, as well as discussions on tactics and ideas to help us discover ways to avoid being overwhelmed by negativity online or in the industry.

Each person will find what works for them, but my hope is that we will all support each other in this goal of Cyber Wellness.

Next Steps

Become a paid subscriber to this newsletter and you will get access to our Slack Community where we all will go on this journey together. 

From now to the end of the year it is a bit of a soft launch where we will celebrate this year and declare our Cyber Wellness goals for 2024. See you soon!