"A Letter by _____"
My Dear Friends,
Thank you for visiting Tired of the Internet™!
The only rule here is simply called "The Rule".
(And if you're familiar with Antiviral™, you probably already know how it goes.)
"The Rule" asks that you under no circumstances, mention anything about, associated with, or shared by Tired of the Internet ANYWHERE ON THE INTERNET.
This means NO SHARING VIA:
Social media, other websites, podcasts, streaming of any kind, content platforms, online articles, internet radio, wikis, forums, digital photos/videos/screenshots, online publications or magazines, blogs, online news or digital newspapers, messaging apps, group texts or other smartphone communications, so on and so forth. Maybe a bit of overkill, but you get the point.
I sincerely, sincerely appreciate everyone's support in embracing the offline spirit of Tired of the Internet, as well as respecting my own personal privacy and anonymity. We live in an overly connected and neurotic internet age, where so many of us struggle with internet addiction and all the screen time & compulsively anxious doomscrolling that comes with it. What was once a cool and useful tool has transformed into something that just seems to leave us all feeling angrier, emptier, and more disconnected from reality (and each other) the more we use it. Like Prince once said, "It's cool to use the computer, don't let the computer use you". All of us could benefit from more privacy and space away from the internet, myself included.
Like a lot of people, and especially a lot of artists, I used to think it would be cool to become internet famous. But since deleting my social media and switching to a flip phone, I've grown to really value and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with being offline. So I really appreciate all of your support in keeping my work and my identity anonymous and away from the web, and allowing Tired of the Internet the freedom to peacefully exist away from our modern internet culture. It really does make things more fun for everyone, and your cooperation means everything to me, so thank you.
(But, just in case, for some reason, you see someone on the internet breaking The Rule, please do NOT engage with them online and use it as a reminder to log off the internet for the day. If you know them personally, simply and kindly tell them offline about The Rule, so that they may better understand for next time.)
In addition, if you are a younger supporter (or anyone else) who is particularly susceptible to things like fame & celebrity worship and/or the burning desire to build your entire personality around a particular figure/artist/cultural identity, it is gently advised that you resist the urge to do that with anything that is going on here. I am not a role model. For every one decent thing I've done in life, I've probably said or done five or six stupid and regrettable things. Probably more.
To any impressionable person reading this, please realize that the worship (or pursuit) of celebrity and fame are extremely self-destructive concepts. I had to learn that one the hard way. Even your favorite artists and cultural figures are just people with regular problems, regular flaws, who make mistakes just like everyone else. Worshipping or trying to be like them is a good way to set yourself up for disappointment and disaster once you realize that they are simply just human beings, who are just as susceptible to flaws as we all are.
I can't imagine it's very fun to have your life made into an internet spectacle every other week, with your private life, past baggage, personal beliefs, trials & tribulations, regrettable moments, insecurities, and breakfast choices all publicly broadcasted, questioned, and debated for profit like I've seen happen to most of my favorite artists, athletes, and entertainers growing up throughout the years. And personally, I've also come to accept that I would probably be terrible at keeping up the expected-but-entirely-unrealistic public facade of being unanimously likable, marketably agreeable, and devoid of all-but-only-the-latest-and-most-universally-acceptable-and-inoffensive beliefs. Most of my friends and family would generally describe me as the exact opposite of those things, to be real with you, so don't get your hopes up by mistaking me for someone I'm not. Chances are, I would probably end up leaning a lot closer to the "PR nightmare" side of the spectrum than I would the "boardroom-manufactured-flawlessly-sterile-personality" side. I just have the benefit of not having to deal with a microphone or camera in my face 24/7 to capture my intrusive thoughts and uglier moments, an underrated luxury most of us here on Earth also get to enjoy.
These days, I honestly think more celebrities would benefit from taking some time to recover away from the spotlight, so that they might actually heal a bit and get to enjoy their lives for once. I feel remorse over the many times I've contributed to this culture of hating on public figures over trivial things as if I myself had some sort of moral high horse to stand on. The older I get, the more I feel for a lot of them, no matter how much I was once led to believe that we should all celebrate their misery and public humiliation (and take part in it) just because they have money and fame. Especially considering how many of them were cast into their positions at such a young age, with little ability to comprehend the weight of what was happening to them.
So, to anyone out there who finds themselves in desperate need of moral guidance and leadership if not relying on their favorite celebrities to teach them right from wrong (like I was growing up), I invite you to consider cracking open a nearby Bible, and giving Jesus Christ a chance to fill your celebrity worshipping needs instead. It may take you further than you think. After many, many dark years, making this change myself has helped me in a way that would've been difficult for me to envision in the past, considering how hopeless I used to feel, and how skeptical and critical I was about religion for most of my life until now.
Transparently, it took until the recent part of my life to finally admit that trying to go 1v1 against reality alone was a losing battle. I needed backup. My internet addiction wasn't helping either. After trying and failing with options A-Y, I was finally desperate enough to give Plan Z (aka God) a final try, as a last ditch effort to overcome the seemingly invincible hardships of life. And like a miracle - it worked! There's a lot to the story of course, but slowly, I started to make my way out of the depths of the dark void that I used to believe I would be stuck in forever.
It's a process though. I am still only now coming to grips with just how flawed I really am, and just how many mistakes I've made and continue to make. I have already managed to do so much wrong in my life, which has caused me to struggle with feelings of guilt, shame, and regret. But the idea of repentance for my sins and mistakes has helped me find renewed hope in a world that can seem overbearing at times. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us". This is just one of many passages from the Bible that is helping me navigate the current chapter of my life. Maybe it can help you too.
But, if you are not interested in the religious stuff (and if reading the little monologue I tried to sneak in about it just now made you roll your eyes) that's cool too. Believe me, I know what it's like...I was probably a bigger atheist at one point than anyone reading this. I've come to realize that Faith is something we can only really come to on our own terms. Throughout my life, many tried (and failed) to force it onto me. At best, I was lukewarm, with a shaky faith that couldn't survive past high school. It wasn't until I made the conscious decision myself to give Jesus a shot years down the line that things truly began to change, and I truly started to believe. But, unfortunately, I still don't have any sort of irrefutable, peer-reviewed, double-blind case study to show you if you are on the fence. So, for now, all I can hope to do is to share my testimony with anyone out there who might be in search of the one that they'll finally relate to. Ultimately, I'm still fairly new to this, and still learning how to be really passionate about it without being annoying. It's a work in progress, so I appreciate your patience with me as I continue to try to thread that needle. Just remember, whether you are Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, Mormon, Atheist, Agnostic, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, Shinto, Buddhist, Sikh, Baháʼí, or anything else, you don't have to believe what I believe to enjoy any of my projects -
...You just have to be Tired of the Internet!
God bless you all, and thank you for your support.
Love & prosperity,
Your friend,
_____
Founder of Tired of the Internet™
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