Introducing: Project 21st
A publication dedicated to navigating the complexities of the 21st Century
Welcome to Project 21st! So excited to bring the next iteration of this newsletter - formerly known as "MWF @ 8" - to you.
I started MWF @ 8 as my first creative endeavor post-college. The goal was to continue to learn about topics and foster a mentality of a lifelong learner. Along the way, many of you graciously read through my ups and downs of beginning to write online. I learned that writing can only be sustained if you establish consistency, so I set out to publish articles every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. For a while, it worked, and I developed the writing muscle, but it was not sustainable since producing content was and is not my primary job.
Although, after one year of writing, I found a groove in longer-form posts centered around emerging tech. This self-study propelled my curiosity about what a shift to working in the technology industry would look like - something I have since begun pursuing! Whoa.
Then, about two years into writing, I shifted my focus inward and chronicled the peaks and valleys of navigating life as a young adult. This introspection helped clarify my perspective on what matters most in life as I try to be a better fiancee, family member, and friend. Whoa x2.
Since beginning software school in November of 2022, finding time to write has been challenging, but finding time to think has been plentiful. I've been in my head far too long the past few months, and it's time to revive writing as a necessary outlet for thought, creativity, and truth.
Except, this time, this publication has its permanent direction. So…
What is Project 21st?
Project 21st is a place where we will continue to navigate the 21st Century together. This venture is not an attempt to be some philosopher of the current age, but I do think I bring a helpful perspective of how challenging it is to come of age in the 21st Century. I'll save you the stats, but our world is a confusing, isolating, hateful, dark, and soul-sucking place. Yet, at the same time, we are living in the most prosperous time in human history.
How can both of these things be true?
The internet, also known as how you're reading this and how you will waste the next hour after reading this (I'm guilty, too). No one created a guidebook for how society should handle living in the internet era; instead, we must continually figure out how to co-exist with our online lives.
The theme of Project 21st will be grace as we try to survive a century of rapid change. I think about the hand that my parents were dealt raising a "Zillenial" in the mass internet era; it was borderline impossible to understand the repercussions of our connected world. But we are only becoming more thoughtful and more aware of the pitfalls of the internet in the 21st Century.
That is why a massive initiative of Project 21st will be to caution future generations of what's at stake with the mental health hazards of being online. The correlation between mental health issues and the internet is no secret. Here is a graph from Jonathan Haidt's study on Social Media as a Major Cause of Mental Illness:
Notice how the ½ hour isn't too bad, but we have all gotten the 4+ hour screen time report on a Sunday. It's embarrassing every time, and yet we wonder why the previous week was "exhausting," "stressful", "worrisome," and "sad."
Again, the internet is the only way for you to read this, so it isn't all bad! That is why we will continue to focus on technology in Project 21st. Only, we will always add a lens of "How could this negatively affect you?" and the question of "How does this benefit you?"
We have a prime example of the meteoric rise of A.I. No one knows what the downside of this new technology will be to society, but we can learn from glaring past trends. Ultimately, it's crucial to take innovation with a grain of salt and not run full speed into the ocean promising every innovation will improve your life.
Further, we will continue to focus on history, especially with my podcast DyerNotes. I like to read a lot of nonfiction, especially if it's centered around people from previous generations. Now more than ever, we need to learn from the past, and I believe wholeheartedly in the power of historical education.
We will make an effort to gather in person! There is a big push for more community amongst younger generations, and it's because we don't get enough human interaction. I dream of Project 21st being a platform that connects people of all kinds in meaningful ways (who knows how this looks).
Primarily, I will continue to chronicle my experiences of living in the 21st Century, and I pray it will help you and me have peace in the world we find ourselves in. Again, I am not some 21st Century savant with all of the answers; just a guy with a computer and a unique ability to communicate his thoughts.
Most importantly, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb. 13:8)… For as crazy as our environment can be around us, there is comfort in knowing our everlasting salvation will never change. That's the ultimate lens we will use in Project 21st.
I cannot wait to see the goodness that Project 21st will bring! There is always a seat for you at the table here.