On being an internet native
learn and grow with me ✨
I'm Yihui, and I'm grateful for your joining! You're receiving this because you either signed up to learn and grow with me (making, creating, and taking care of your well-being), or it was forwarded to you. If you enjoyed this, feel free to forward it to a friend. Happy to receive feedback too :)
Hi everyone,
I don’t think I’ve clearly announced I’d be doubling down on writing this year - whether that be writing blog posts, newsletters, reviews etc. So here it is. It had been a struggle to prioritise and decide if you’d been following my previous issues and blog posts! I may not be active in building and creating things compared to last year, but at least I’m a bit more confident in knowing what I want to do more of now. Explored a lot last year, doubling down this year.
If you’re unsure what you want, I suggest exploring different things to see what you like. Once you’ve tried a large sample set of interests, it’ll be easier to narrow down your interests. That’s how I decided on writing. There’s also leaning into the feeling of trusting what you’re more curious about than what you fear missing out on. It’s okay to have a bit of FOMO, but try not to get confused about what you really want to do.
What’s something that you find more curious about? What’s something your inner child is trying to get you to do more of - which ties in nicely with the next section.
Side update: My personal website has a new design! 🥳
Why being an internet native means a lot to me
This was something I’d been meaning to write for a long time because it encapsulates why I’m incredibly active on the internet (more than… most people I know, at least). I talked about my vulnerabilities (big oof), especially from my past, and how it fits into my being an internet native narrative. Maybe you might resonate?
Here are some tiny excerpts of my blog post. Full post below.
While most millennials and gen-z’ers would consider themselves a digital or internet native (someone who grew up with the internet), myself included, I have a stronger attachment to it. The internet was a significant part of my teenage years so I hold a very special place in my heart for it. While most teenagers would still have a social life outside of the internet, I spent most of my time online. Maybe it’s also why despite many people still feeling sceptical of web3, I felt a gradual affinity for it and saw it as a natural evolution of the internet.
My earliest internet memory was playing Neopets and old-school Disney, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network games on their official websites in the mid-2000s. They were actually that good. I don’t remember how I taught myself to use the internet. Maybe it came naturally to a generation raised in the digital era, or maybe it was also because I was more active online. When we only had one computer at home, I remembered discreetly using the internet while my parents were away. Even if I did get caught, I’d continue the next day stealthier. At the time, Nickelodeon began airing Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA). I was so taken by it that I wanted more, so I googled it. I found the official website, but I also came across “fansites”. That was the beginning of my internet rabbit hole.
Shorter words ✨
1) Chasing after big goals is great, but don’t forget the little things. There’s always time to celebrate the mundane things too.
2) If you want to be happier, let go of your ego.
3) Everyone makes mistakes. Learn something from them as lessons for your future self rather than failures. I’m still guilty of this, but I’m learning to unlearn it.
***
Longer words ✨
The SF Commons
Patricia has been researching third spaces over the past year. Seeing her bring a project to real life has also inspired me to dig into what it means to be a third space and how it can build and cultivate an offline community.
The Ungated Manifesto
I’m sure you’ve seen The Pattern. When I started writing last year, I began to notice it too. It might be easy to write it but it didn’t sit well with me when I realised how dull and formulaic my writing has become.
Level Up
If you’ve read my blog post on being an internet native, I think this is a great follow up post. It talks about the future of education via playing to learn. It fits into the metaverse narrative, but it’s more than just the web3 hype.
Til next time. See you in June.
PS: As always, feel free to share feedback with me anytime (what I can do better, what you want to see more of etc) by replying to this email or on Twitter.
Warmest regards,
Yihui Chan
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