(Or: How to Stop Being a Dingbat Online and Start Running the Internet Instead of It Running You)

Let me keep it 100 with you—most of us, especially the older generation, are flat-out lost. Not because we’re not smart, but because we’re walking into a fully lit stadium with sunglasses on. We’re fumbling through social media, emails, websites, online stores, content creation, and algorithms like it’s all written in some foreign language. Newsflash: it’s not. But you’ve been convinced you’re too old, too behind, or too whatever to figure it out. That’s a lie.

And before you throw your mouse across the room—yes, your email will work whether you type it in ALL CAPS or all lowercase. The internet does not care about that. Gmail doesn’t care, Yahoo doesn’t care, Outlook doesn’t care. This is one of the many small but powerful myths that make people look goofy. Keep it lowercase—it’s cleaner, faster, and more professional—but functionally, it’ll work either way.

Now, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Let’s go deeper.

1. The Myth of “Going Viral”

You think going viral is about luck? About some teenage kid in Idaho clicking the magic button and making you famous? No. It’s about understanding how the machine works. Every social media platform has one mission: KEEP PEOPLE ON THE PLATFORM. Period. The longer you keep people watching, reading, or engaging with your stuff, the more the algorithm rewards you by showing it to others. Simple. Yet most of you are busy sharing blurry screenshots, 14-minute videos that should’ve been 2, and posts with no call to action.

Tech 3.0 is about working with the machine, not against it. The algorithm ain’t your enemy. It’s like electricity—it can shock you or it can light up your entire house. Your choice.

2. Stop Forwarding Chain Emails

Y’all still doing this? Stop.
If you haven’t checked the truth of that article, the legitimacy of that GoFundMe, or the origin of that quote, don’t share it. You’re clogging timelines and inboxes with nonsense. Every time you spread fake information, you lose credibility. This is Tech 3.0, not America Online 1997.

3. The Comment Section is NOT the Whole World

Too many of you are judging your entire self-worth, your message, your business, or your product based on comments from a handful of people you don’t know. Most of whom are trolls, bots, or worse: friends who smile in your face but throw shade in the replies. If you’re going to be on the internet, you’ve got to develop what we call digital tough skin. The comment section is the street corner. Listen if you want, but don’t build your whole house there.

4. Use These Platforms, Don’t Let Them Use You

Every app, every platform, every website has the potential to make you rich, powerful, and effective. But if you don’t approach it with a plan, you’ll become a zombie—scrolling endlessly, feeding them data while you get nothing in return.
You should have two reasons to be on these platforms:

• To learn
• To earn

If it doesn’t serve one of those two, log out and go live life.

5. The Power of Consistency

I know what you’re thinking. “But I don’t have time to post every day.” Yes, you do. You’re just not organized. Consistency is not about overwhelming your followers, it’s about teaching the algorithm to recognize you as a valuable asset. If you only post once a month, the algorithm forgets about you. Post once a day? It starts paying attention. Post with purpose? It starts working for you.

6. Trend Chasing Will Get You Nowhere

Doing the latest dance, remixing the latest viral video, or hopping on every trend will make you look desperate, not intentional. Build YOUR thing. Stand on YOUR story. The internet rewards originality. If you’re going to participate in trends, remix them to serve your message.

7. The Dingbat Detox

If you’ve made it this far, it’s time for a dingbat detox.

• Learn to edit your own videos (it’s easier than you think)
• Write clearer captions
• Use spell check (please)
• Create content that educates, inspires, entertains, or solves a problem
• Stop assuming the kids have all the answers—they don’t. They just play with the tools more.

Final Thought

We’re in Tech 3.0, and you don’t have to be left behind. The same way you learned to drive, cook, balance a checkbook, or survive the wildness of the ’70s, you can master this too. Don’t be ashamed. Don’t be stubborn. The world is online now. You can either show up as a player or sit in the cheap seats watching everybody else eat.