this is a talk for my son and my very very soon-to-be daughter whose lives
very soon-to-be daughter whose lives
very soon-to-be daughter whose lives will without a doubt be more intertwined
will without a doubt be more intertwined
will without a doubt be more intertwined with social media than we can even
with social media than we can even
with social media than we can even imagine today just thinking about I’m
imagine today just thinking about I’m
imagine today just thinking about I’m excited I’m excited to see them glued to
excited I’m excited to see them glued to
excited I’m excited to see them glued to their phones for hours on end like
their phones for hours on end like
their phones for hours on end like zombies just thinking about an ounce
zombies just thinking about an ounce
zombies just thinking about an ounce swells me with a parental sense of pride
swells me with a parental sense of pride
swells me with a parental sense of pride you know they say that the average
you know they say that the average
you know they say that the average millennial spends about five hours on
millennial spends about five hours on
millennial spends about five hours on the phone every day a little bit of math
the phone every day a little bit of math
the phone every day a little bit of math that’s 1825 hours over the course of a
that’s 1825 hours over the course of a
that’s 1825 hours over the course of a year you extrapolate that out to four
year you extrapolate that out to four
year you extrapolate that out to four years let’s say the four years of high
years let’s say the four years of high
years let’s say the four years of high school and you get seven thousand three
school and you get seven thousand three
school and you get seven thousand three hundred hours the only way to make that
hundred hours the only way to make that
hundred hours the only way to make that seem like a modest number is to compare
seem like a modest number is to compare
seem like a modest number is to compare it to the roughly eleven thousand hours
it to the roughly eleven thousand hours
it to the roughly eleven thousand hours that I’ve spent on my phone in the past
that I’ve spent on my phone in the past
that I’ve spent on my phone in the past four years eight hours a day making
four years eight hours a day making
four years eight hours a day making myself a better person and a better
myself a better person and a better
myself a better person and a better parent by making content so let’s rewind
parent by making content so let’s rewind
parent by making content so let’s rewind a little bit
a little bit
a little bit 2014 my life had a pretty unexpected
2014 my life had a pretty unexpected
2014 my life had a pretty unexpected change
change
change I became an accidental snapchat
I became an accidental snapchat
I became an accidental snapchat influencer all I do is post a bunch of
influencer all I do is post a bunch of
influencer all I do is post a bunch of selfies of myself and silly doodles on
selfies of myself and silly doodles on
selfies of myself and silly doodles on tumblr and they went crazy viral so
tumblr and they went crazy viral so
tumblr and they went crazy viral so 11,000 hour they got better trust me
11,000 hour they got better trust me
11,000 hour they got better trust me that’s I don’t want you to think that I
that’s I don’t want you to think that I
that’s I don’t want you to think that I spent eleven thousand hours on those
spent eleven thousand hours on those
spent eleven thousand hours on those that one on the right there only took
that one on the right there only took
that one on the right there only took like 13 I went from having to adoring
like 13 I went from having to adoring
like 13 I went from having to adoring golden retrievers to having half a
golden retrievers to having half a
golden retrievers to having half a million adoring Internet fans but I’m
million adoring Internet fans but I’m
million adoring Internet fans but I’m not here to tell you how to do that for
not here to tell you how to do that for
not here to tell you how to do that for yourself I can’t that’s impossible
yourself I can’t that’s impossible
yourself I can’t that’s impossible anybody that tells you they can tell you
anybody that tells you they can tell you
anybody that tells you they can tell you how to become famous on the Internet
how to become famous on the Internet
how to become famous on the Internet they’re selling a snake-oil which
they’re selling a snake-oil which
they’re selling a snake-oil which apparently is how old people say it’s
apparently is how old people say it’s
apparently is how old people say it’s bullcrap don’t believe it it’s not true
bullcrap don’t believe it it’s not true
bullcrap don’t believe it it’s not true I can’t tell you how to become famous on
I can’t tell you how to become famous on
I can’t tell you how to become famous on the internet because it’s it’s an
the internet because it’s it’s an
the internet because it’s it’s an impossible thing to do but I can tell
impossible thing to do but I can tell
impossible thing to do but I can tell you that it’s an unpredictable thing
you that it’s an unpredictable thing
you that it’s an unpredictable thing it’s it’s it’s crazy I can’t tell you
it’s it’s it’s crazy I can’t tell you
it’s it’s it’s crazy I can’t tell you how to make a career out of it it’s
how to make a career out of it it’s
how to make a career out of it it’s unpredictable but it
unpredictable but it
unpredictable but it controls people I see it every day I see
controls people I see it every day I see
controls people I see it every day I see the internet controlling people they
the internet controlling people they
the internet controlling people they spend half an hour trying to take the
spend half an hour trying to take the
spend half an hour trying to take the perfect selfie before they post it on
perfect selfie before they post it on
perfect selfie before they post it on Instagram going through countless
Instagram going through countless
Instagram going through countless revisions of tweets and posts before
revisions of tweets and posts before
revisions of tweets and posts before finally picking the right one it’s
finally picking the right one it’s
finally picking the right one it’s absolutely absurd
absolutely absurd
absolutely absurd social media it because of this this
social media it because of this this
social media it because of this this behavior is so prevalent that it’s
behavior is so prevalent that it’s
behavior is so prevalent that it’s giving social media a bad kind of a bad
giving social media a bad kind of a bad
giving social media a bad kind of a bad rap social media is brainwashing
rap social media is brainwashing
rap social media is brainwashing Millennials and your children watch out
Millennials and your children watch out
Millennials and your children watch out we’ve all heard that and I can speak
we’ve all heard that and I can speak
we’ve all heard that and I can speak from firsthand even though I’m not
from firsthand even though I’m not
from firsthand even though I’m not exactly I’m not a I’m far from being a
exactly I’m not a I’m far from being a
exactly I’m not a I’m far from being a teenager I think we can all agree on
teenager I think we can all agree on
teenager I think we can all agree on that but I learned firsthand that it can
that but I learned firsthand that it can
that but I learned firsthand that it can control you I spent over a year trying
control you I spent over a year trying
control you I spent over a year trying to become famous on vine you guys
to become famous on vine you guys
to become famous on vine you guys remember vine you know barely meeting
remember vine you know barely meeting
remember vine you know barely meeting either and I was it was a complete
either and I was it was a complete
either and I was it was a complete failure because I was focused on making
failure because I was focused on making
failure because I was focused on making stuff that was entertaining and funny
stuff that was entertaining and funny
stuff that was entertaining and funny and I really wanted to be liked and to
and I really wanted to be liked and to
and I really wanted to be liked and to get likes that’s all I was concerned
get likes that’s all I was concerned
get likes that’s all I was concerned about and it was an utter failure I
about and it was an utter failure I
about and it was an utter failure I can’t teach you how to become an
can’t teach you how to become an
can’t teach you how to become an influencer because every influencer is
influencer because every influencer is
influencer because every influencer is an accidental influencer at least least
an accidental influencer at least least
an accidental influencer at least least on the internet they are so what I can
on the internet they are so what I can
on the internet they are so what I can tell you is how I found success and how
tell you is how I found success and how
tell you is how I found success and how I found happiness through my profession
I found happiness through my profession
I found happiness through my profession these platforms that had you know once
these platforms that had you know once
these platforms that had you know once caused me such stress and you know
caused me such stress and you know
caused me such stress and you know depression I was able to make a career
depression I was able to make a career
depression I was able to make a career out of it and find happiness and
out of it and find happiness and
out of it and find happiness and actually it happened completely
actually it happened completely
actually it happened completely accidentally all I had to do was throw
accidentally all I had to do was throw
accidentally all I had to do was throw these selfies online they went crazy
these selfies online they went crazy
these selfies online they went crazy viral and right place right time my name
viral and right place right time my name
viral and right place right time my name was out there this is way back I wasn’t
was out there this is way back I wasn’t
was out there this is way back I wasn’t trying to become famous on snapchat this
trying to become famous on snapchat this
trying to become famous on snapchat this is long before snapchat was the app you
is long before snapchat was the app you
is long before snapchat was the app you know today before the sharing before the
know today before the sharing before the
know today before the sharing before the my story brands weren’t looking into it
my story brands weren’t looking into it
my story brands weren’t looking into it people you literally couldn’t become
people you literally couldn’t become
people you literally couldn’t become famous on snapchat it just wasn’t built
famous on snapchat it just wasn’t built
famous on snapchat it just wasn’t built that way and it’s still really not built
that way and it’s still really not built
that way and it’s still really not built that way but right place right time I
that way but right place right time I
that way but right place right time I got some press and when brands like
got some press and when brands like
got some press and when brands like Disney started picking up the phone they
Disney started picking up the phone they
Disney started picking up the phone they are not picking up the phone when when
are not picking up the phone when when
are not picking up the phone when when brands like Disney started googling how
brands like Disney started googling how
brands like Disney started googling how do I snapchat I was the person that came
do I snapchat I was the person that came
do I snapchat I was the person that came up and the good press kind of snowballed
up and the good press kind of snowballed
up and the good press kind of snowballed and I was able to turn it into a career
and I was able to turn it into a career
and I was able to turn it into a career before I knew it I was the face of the
before I knew it I was the face of the
before I knew it I was the face of the pre Little Liars snapchat account which
pre Little Liars snapchat account which
pre Little Liars snapchat account which is the most followed entered
is the most followed entered
is the most followed entered snapchat account in the platform’s
snapchat account in the platform’s
snapchat account in the platform’s history which was awesome I’m a
history which was awesome I’m a
history which was awesome I’m a millennial I’m getting into this but I
millennial I’m getting into this but I
millennial I’m getting into this but I still hadn’t quite learned my lesson I
still hadn’t quite learned my lesson I
still hadn’t quite learned my lesson I know everyone here you’re probably
know everyone here you’re probably
know everyone here you’re probably thinking social media it must be treated
thinking social media it must be treated
thinking social media it must be treated with the most respect and care and
with the most respect and care and
with the most respect and care and caution only the best that’s possibly
caution only the best that’s possibly
caution only the best that’s possibly lit selfies
lit selfies
lit selfies I was totally brain what brainwashed by
I was totally brain what brainwashed by
I was totally brain what brainwashed by that still I was trying to kind of hide
that still I was trying to kind of hide
that still I was trying to kind of hide myself so I wasn’t being completely
myself so I wasn’t being completely
myself so I wasn’t being completely honest on social media these Millennials
honest on social media these Millennials
honest on social media these Millennials they would look at me and I think they
they would look at me and I think they
they would look at me and I think they wanted me to be one of them and because
wanted me to be one of them and because
wanted me to be one of them and because of those assumptions I wasn’t showing
of those assumptions I wasn’t showing
of those assumptions I wasn’t showing who I truly was because I thought that
who I truly was because I thought that
who I truly was because I thought that they would become disinterested and I
they would become disinterested and I
they would become disinterested and I thought that you know it wasn’t the type
thought that you know it wasn’t the type
thought that you know it wasn’t the type of content they would like but then my
of content they would like but then my
of content they would like but then my life changed in another way it’s four
life changed in another way it’s four
life changed in another way it’s four o’clock in the morning and I’m lost in a
o’clock in the morning and I’m lost in a
o’clock in the morning and I’m lost in a hospital
hospital
hospital but that’s okay
here with my heart Soho dancing father
here with my heart Soho dancing father obviously my life changed a lot but I
obviously my life changed a lot but I
obviously my life changed a lot but I was so overcome with emotion that I was
was so overcome with emotion that I was
was so overcome with emotion that I was compelled to create something and this
compelled to create something and this
compelled to create something and this is the story that I told from the
is the story that I told from the
is the story that I told from the hospital that day against my better
hospital that day against my better
hospital that day against my better judgment my better misconceptions
judgment my better misconceptions
judgment my better misconceptions actually I told this incredibly personal
actually I told this incredibly personal
actually I told this incredibly personal story
story
story I broke the veil I’m not a millennial
I broke the veil I’m not a millennial
I broke the veil I’m not a millennial I’m a father guys guess what I’m not 13
I’m a father guys guess what I’m not 13
I’m a father guys guess what I’m not 13 I have a mortgage I have a family and
I have a mortgage I have a family and
I have a mortgage I have a family and you know what nothing bad happened in
you know what nothing bad happened in
you know what nothing bad happened in fact it opened up whole other world for
fact it opened up whole other world for
fact it opened up whole other world for me I started getting new brand deals
me I started getting new brand deals
me I started getting new brand deals with this whole new vertical this this
with this whole new vertical this this
with this whole new vertical this this parenting type of work with different
parenting type of work with different
parenting type of work with different brands and it was great I found more
brands and it was great I found more
brands and it was great I found more success and I found more happiness you
success and I found more happiness you
success and I found more happiness you know I said that every day I see people
know I said that every day I see people
know I said that every day I see people being controlled by social media and if
being controlled by social media and if
being controlled by social media and if you can if you let it control you that’s
you can if you let it control you that’s
you can if you let it control you that’s exactly what it will do but if instead
exactly what it will do but if instead
exactly what it will do but if instead of controlling it letting it control you
of controlling it letting it control you
of controlling it letting it control you you use it you’ll find success and
you use it you’ll find success and
you use it you’ll find success and you’ll find happiness by using social
you’ll find happiness by using social
you’ll find happiness by using social media I’ve been able to become a better
media I’ve been able to become a better
media I’ve been able to become a better person I’m more energetic I’ve learned
person I’m more energetic I’ve learned
person I’m more energetic I’ve learned how to play again I’ve become a better
how to play again I’ve become a better
how to play again I’ve become a better person a better father and I’m a much
person a better father and I’m a much
person a better father and I’m a much happier human being for it thank you
[Applause]
[Applause] you
”
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