Who Are We? 

Social media is a very powerful resource that has found its way into the hands of children and teens. Social media can be a wonderful way to network and communicate with others, but unfortunately, the normalized apathy in online culture continues to do more harm than good. In the year 2021, more than 21% of people aged 10-18 reported being personally victimized by cyberbullying in the United States (Broadband, 2021).  Desensitization to bullying and hate speech online is an issue that is further perpetuated by the competitive nature of social media. Misuse of social media and online harassment can lead to a variety of mental health issues and communication barriers (e.g. a lack of compassion/empathy) in face-to-face encounters. Educators, parents and youth do not have access to constructive resources, since many of the resources available online are outdated and not applicable to the ever changing world of social media.

 We decided to launch Connect With Empathy as a means of offering modernized, engaging educational resources on cyberbullying for youth, educators, parents and social workers to address irresponsible and insensitive behaviour within online communities. Our content addresses several prevalent issues of youth in regards to social media usage, including phone addiction, "cancel culture", the nature of competition in calculated algorithms, body dysmorphia, racial biases and minor exploitation. We place a huge priority on mental health and are committed to exploring the subsequent effects of  social media misuse on the long-term emotional, mental and physical well-being of Gen Z.