These days, positive role models are prevalent. This is especially true on social media, where kids of all ages are exposed to content en masse every minute of every day. Dark Joseph Ravine (legally born, Joseph Levy Cohen) has made it his mission to become a positive role model on social media by promoting positivity across all platforms he posts content on. Now, he’s taken this mission a step further by writing his new book, Watch Out! It’s Nolan, which is now available on a variety of book outlets.
Joseph is no stranger to tough times. He wasn’t granted his success overnight, and he is transparent about the long road he traveled to reach the level he is at today. His book is his opportunity to showcase his truest values to his audience. While Joseph certainly is an overwhelmingly positive personality both on and offline, he asserts his authenticity, especially within his book.
Success is never linear; it can be easy, in a world of saturated social media feeds, to assume someone “has it all.” What we don’t see, though, are the constant ups and downs that every successful person has faced and continues to face throughout their journey. Joseph is dedicated to transparency, showcasing the good and bad across his platforms, which currently host hundreds of thousands of followers cumulatively.
“It’s a huge responsibility!” says Ravine. “There are so many eyes watching me, all the time. I’m not perfect. But I’ll always try my best, and I’ll always try to hold myself accountable when I make mistakes. That’s why I wrote the book, to showcase that all of us, at all ages, go through different stages of growth.”
His debut novel deals with a tricky topic: childhood bullying. The effects of childhood bullying can last a lifetime, and Joseph took it upon himself to give our current and future generations a chance to change the narrative.
“Growing up, bullying was different,” he says. “It was there, definitely, but you could go home and forget about it, in most cases. Now, you go home, and you see a slew of hate tweets. It’s horrible.”
Plus, he understands that now, people will say anything to get attention. It’s known that people will say things they don’t mean when they’re angry or upset. This is much harder to navigate on public forums, like Twitter.
We currently reside in a world full of misinformation, which can take a toll on people’s overall mental health. Joseph hopes that his book can reignite a spark in people that pushes them to promote positivity every day. He may be a Guinness World Record holder today, but he knows that he would not be where he is now without the kindness of others along the way. The release of Watch Out! It’s Nolan is Joseph’s way of returning the favor to everyone who has supported him on his inspirational journey.