Hi, I’m Jerry Banfield. If you’ve stumbled across this post and don’t know me, I used to live my life entirely online. For more than a decade I worked as a full-time content creator: YouTuber, Facebook Gaming partner, top-10 Udemy instructor, cryptocurrency educator, musician, podcaster — you name it, I probably did it. Altogether, my work online reached more than a billion impressions, with tens of millions of views on YouTube and Facebook alone.
On paper, I was “famous on the internet.” In reality, I was exhausted, unstable, and deeply unfulfilled.
The Illusion of Online Fame
Going viral gave me quick hits of excitement, but it came with an unrelenting pressure to chase numbers. Algorithms rewarded hype, scams, and shallow entertainment. The moment I tried to create something honest and empowering, the views disappeared.
I saw the same thing everywhere — in gaming, in crypto, in online teaching. People who cheated, manipulated, or told half-truths got rewarded. Those who tried to bring integrity often got ignored. For years, I played along. I said what I thought would sell. My “success” never felt like enough because it was built on sand.
Eventually, I had to admit to myself: being a content creator wasn’t just draining my energy, it was draining my integrity.
Why I Walked Away
The internet is designed to keep you distracted, drained, and dependent. I lived that cycle until I couldn’t anymore. I deleted everything:
- A Facebook page with 1.9 million followers
- Fifteen YouTube channels with hundreds of thousands of subscribers
- Multiple monetized streams of income that together earned thousands of dollars a month
Gone. All of it.
I stopped watching YouTube, Netflix, and TikTok. I stopped listening to endless playlists of recorded music. I even stopped gaming. Because once I stepped back, I saw it clearly: most of what we consume online is designed to keep us feeling powerless, like batteries being drained for someone else’s benefit.
When I unplugged, my mind and body started to heal. I could think clearly again. I could be present with my wife, my kids, my friends. The peace I was chasing online was always waiting for me offline.
What I’m Doing Now
Today I’m rebuilding my life around things that truly matter. I’m an author in St. Petersburg, Florida, writing books like I Was Famous on the Internet and Author in St. Petersburg.
I start massage school in September 2025, and when I graduate I plan to offer a unique blend of bodywork and coaching — massage combined with deep, supportive conversation.
My sobriety has been at the heart of all this. I’ve been sober since April 22, 2014, and I still attend five AA meetings a week. Recovery taught me that real growth happens face-to-face, not on a screen.
Books, bodywork, and real conversations — that’s the path I’m walking now.
Visit My Website for the Full Story
If this resonates with you, I invite you to read the full story on my website: JerryBanfield.com. You’ll find more about my books, my coaching work, and my upcoming journey into massage therapy.
I deleted my old online world because it was draining my life away. What I’m building now is rooted in integrity, healing, and human connection.
Thanks for reading — I hope to connect with you beyond the screen. I posted this here to Hive given I am not able to delete this account ...