Every time I show this video, I’m beyond impressed by how it reaches our students. Such a great example of social media and how it was meant to be used… to enrich our lives and connections, and to bring out the best in people.
I also love the example of positivity as a tool for prevention. Especially for teenagers. We know that when it comes to nutrition, telling kids what they shouldn’t eat doesn’t work. Instead, we tell them about what they should. No more, “don’t eat fast food”, now it’s all “eat more veggies”. Makes so much sense.
And here, this high school junior offers the same approach when it comes to cyberbullying. Instead of coming out and saying, “don’t cyberbully”, he just simply says nice stuff. To everyone.
And guess what?
People like him for it. He’s popular. Imagine that.
When good deeds go viral, it’s so important to share it with students. The “Just Say No”, and “Supersize Me” scare tactics of the past have obviously not been effective methods of health education. Maybe we can all learn from the example of this student… and just focus on the positive.
Let’s not give the bullies any more attention. Let’s focus on the allies… the folks who refuse to be bystanders and set a good example for us all.
